Opening up
by hippi926840
Summary: Gaara didn't want to feel alone anymore, even years after Shukaku was removed. Enter Kumiyo, a woman who isn't who she seems. The tale that ensues is one which opens up both their hearts, but what happens when duty and obligations play their role? GaaraOC
1. Encountering Kumiyo

A veil of dark, dank, dampness blanketed the Hidden Village of the Sand, throwing the normally dry, peaceful atmosphere into one of torrential misery.

Mixed in the low rumbles resonating off the ominous clouds plaguing the sky was the deep, weary sigh of Subaku no Gaara. His normally piercing, sharp turquoise eyes were clouded with stress and tiredness which he attempted to blink away with no avail. Hidden under the towering stacks of paperwork, he briefly wondered if he could throw them out the window and blame it on a sudden lashing from the storm.

_But a serious, responsible Kazekage could not possibly do such childish things_ his conscience berated mockingly.

It was at times like these that he really despised being the Kazekage as it didn't allow him to interact with people with the slightest shred of normality, the way others did.

_Not like I could in the first place_ he thought bitterly.

Though Shukaku had been extracted from him ten years ago he still came off as frighteningly intimidating to the people he had protected for so long. Granted he was acknowledged respectively, his required demeanour had come off as cold and heartless and so he still had not managed to make any real friends other than with his comrades in Konoha and his own siblings.

Slowly rising from his seat, he decided to call it a night and walked towards his door, smiling to himself as he came across a note slid under the door. No doubt left by his assistant who knew not to disturb him when he was in a work rampage. He was, however, not smiling because of the fear instilled in the poor girl, but at the realization of who the letter was from. It was his sister's special form of communication as she could not visit as frequently as she did before due to the arrival of her 'troublesome' twin girls a couple of years back.

Picking up the thick envelope, Gaara glanced at the picture residing in his cabinet which revealed a radiant Temari holding a bubbly little toddler with the same frizzy, blonde hair as her mother - Sayuri, standing next to a smirking Shikamaru trying to pry the hands of his hyperactive daughter- Natsumi away from his hair.

_They look so happy_ though Gaara fondly. However, he could not prevent a pang of envy from enveloping his heart. Of course he was happy for his sister and he loved his nieces - and pending nephew- with all of his being, but a part of him longed for what they so clearly had.

Breathing another heavy sigh and shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of those thoughts he continued down the hall, deciding to read her letter the next day after some well deserved sleep.

Unfortunately, fate seemed persistent and unwilling to give him his dosage of rest, at least not for a couple more hours.

* * *

Upon exiting the main building and making his way through a sheltered path leading to his house he heard a distant scream seemingly drowned out by the severity of the storm. Nonetheless, he had heard it and instinctively turned his head in its direction straining his ears for another sign of danger. 

True to his instincts, the scream was heard again but appeared to be quickly cut off. Immediately, Gaara set off with amazing speed and swiftness through the downpour and into a deeper part of the desert outside of the village. Soon enough he could start to make out a couple of figures struggling amongst themselves, one hauling a violently protesting woman over his shoulders and the other snatching away her belongings. Without thinking Gaara attacked full force with this body, as his sand was wet and not as controllable as it once was. He managed to knock the man holding the woman to the ground, he then skillfully grabbed his kunai and slashed the other man deeply in the throat.

Panting lightly he turned around to help the woman up only to find that she had already managed to untie herself and arm her shaking body with a weapon whilst cautiously observing his movements. Putting his hands up in defense, Gaara tried to show the feisty woman he meant her no harm. Locking his calm eyes with her distressed ones in an act of trust he noted they were a peculiar shade of amber. However, he could not continue his train of thought as instantly his world went black.

* * *

Honeysuckles and dew. That was what he smelt right now in his half-asleep state, much too tired to notice he was nearing consciousness. 

Feeling something soft and warm beneath him, he realized he was in someone else's futon as his was never this comforting, and it certainly did not smell of honey and dew.

Trying to recollect his memories quickly and piece together this growing enigma, he remembered a stormy night, a woman being kidnapped and harassed by two men, he took them down then… blank. Gaara frowned unknowingly, attracting the attention of an amber-eyed woman sitting next to him.

"Oh you're awake" came a soft voice.

Gaara opened his eyes to find that his vision was blurry, barely making out the figure in front of him.

"Shh you should rest some more" the voice reprimanded calmly, wiping his sweat covered brow.

"Where am I?" Gaara asked trying to keep his composure, blinking away the haze obstructing his vision.

Catching her eyes, he recognized them as the familiar amber ones from the night before.

She had chestnut coloured hair lightly sweeping over her face, it suited her delicate features, very soft and gentle like her voice.

"At my place" she answered vaguely, not daring to break his intense gaze.

Gaara tried to sit up to better recognize his surroundings, but as soon as he moved in the slightest an excruciating pain shot up the back of his skull eliciting a sharp gasp from his mouth.

Immediately, she reacted by gently but firmly pushing him back down into the soft pillow.

"Be careful, you got hit pretty hard there"

"What happened?"

"After you took them out, you turned around. You didn't see one of them stand back up and hit you in the back of your head. I stabbed him after that though, and dragged you back here" she flushed, obviously embarrassed by her actions.

"I didn't know where else to take you, the hospital was too far, and my house seemed to be nearest" she blabbered.

Gaara closed his eyes tiredly, contemplating her explanation.

"What's your name?" he asked after a while, barely audible.

She blushed lightly, avoiding his stare.

"Kumiyo" she replied shyly.

* * *

Upon awakening a second time, Gaara found himself in a completely different place, which looked to be the Suna hospital. 

"Oh Gaara, you're awake!" cried an anxious Temari, concern clearly plastered on her face.

"You really had us worried, what happened?" questioned an equally worried Kankuro.

A look of confusion over took Gaara's somber features.

"Kumiyo" he mumbled

"Who's Kumiyo?"

_Was it all a dream?_

"I… don't know" he replied truthfully

"You've been gone for two days Gaara, do you really remember nothing?" came an impatient Kankuro

"It was raining, and I saved a woman from two men. Then I think I got knocked out. Temari what are you doing here?"

"I was worried idiot, so I came as soon as I heard"

"If you got knocked out, why didn't we find you? We searched everywhere but it was like you just disappeared into thin air. You were only found a few hours ago on the side of the street near the hospital, but it wasn't like we hadn't looked there before. Someone must have brought you there, probably the same person who gave you that bruise on your head" interrupted Kankuro

Gaara's hand tentatively moved to the back of his head to touch the bruise. Its pain had subsided to a dull ache now.

"Oh Kankuro just leave him alone, at least we've found him now that's all that matters"

As his siblings continued their ever present bickering Gaara's mind ran back to a certain woman with mysterious amber eyes.

_It must have been a dream, I really need a rest from all that paperwork _

* * *

**Hnn sorry. I'm perfectly aware of my writing skills (or lack thereof), I'm just hoping they'll improve as I continue.**

**Thanks for reading**

**p.s**

**I'll be editing this over and over again as I never seem to be pleased with it. **


	2. The wrath of Natsumi and Sayuri

**Heya. Felt the sudden need to carry on when listening to 'Because of You' by Neyo. **

**Maybe that song should be my story's theme song. I'm absolutely in love with it.**

**The lyrics actually kinda fit except for the whole 2 girl cheating thing… but only later on in the story teehee. XD **

* * *

Kumiyo sat on the floor of her small house pounding her head against the wall mercilessly. 

"Ohh Kumiyo you baka! What have you done?? You don't just leave the Kazekage, the KAZEKAGE, on the street unconscious. Oh Kami-sama help me" she whimpered.

Truthfully speaking, she didn't really have a choice. Keeping Gaara-sama at her house would most definitely prove to be too dangerous for her situation. Nevertheless, she couldn't just leave him lying there, especially when he had just saved her pathetic life.

Kumiyo was actually quite surprised he had been so kind. Judging from the rumors, Suna's Kazekage was supposed to be cold-hearted and cruel, but from what she could tell he was the exact opposite.

Her thoughts drifted back to this morning while he was still lying on her bed out cold from the attack. His red locks contrasting with his pale skin and sharp features, she had to admit she did find him attractive, even in an unconscious state. Unable to hold herself back, she timidly brushed her fingers over the tattoo on his forehead. Love, she read, immediately feeling a rush of pity.

Kumiyo knew of his past, and although she was supposed to look at it objectively and from a purely professional point of view, she allowed herself this moment to truly wallow in it.

_He must have felt so lonely. How unbearable. _

She stiffened and pulled her fingers away, he was stirring. _Oh Kami-sama, what do I do?_

In the end, although she had tried her best to be the great actress she was, Kumiyo couldn't lie to him or prevent her true emotions from showing.

The worst thing was she let her real name slip when she was known to everyone else as Kaori.

Quickly reacting so as not to give out any other secrets, she used her medical expertise to hit a few pressure points on his palm making him pass out.

Kumiyo rubbed her temples, scolding herself for nearly jeopardizing her whole mission.

She was a medical nin from Iwagakure (Hidden village in the Rocks), sent to Suna as an undercover spy used to keep tabs on Suna's shinobi strength and weaknesses for political leverage. It was a common deed done by most countries as the chuunin exams were often not thorough enough for the Kages.

Kumiyo was chosen for her innate ability to create a believable façade and her skills in passing lie detectors unnoticed.

_Not like that was working now. _

Her lack of physical strength in taijutsu were also seen as an advantage so as not to draw more attention to herself, plus being a spy didn't require even basic shinobi skills, hence her struggle with the muggers the other night. However, she was knowledgeable in the medical area, allowing her to slip into the role of a Suna nurse quite easily.

Her ear piece buzzed from inside her pocket. Fitting it in she answered

"Kumiyo reporting" her tone wavering ever so slightly

"What is your status?" a voice crackled on the other end.

"I've encountered the Kazekage sir, my position has not been uncovered but he has seen my face" she didn't dare add that he knew her real name, the Tsuchikage would have her assassinated.

The voice paused, contemplating his response.

"Keep us informed, if you feel your position is endangered we will extract you"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kumiyo ended her report with a couple more worthless updates before slumping back against the wall.

_Rule number one: Always be aware of your situation_

_Rule number two: Always maintain your undercover role_

_Rule number three: Never get emotionally involved_

_I think I just broke all three of them_

* * *

It had been a couple of days since his supposed kidnapping and Gaara was found once again beneath mounds of work. He had decided not to give it much of a second thought as there were much more important things to go over rather than wondering how he pulled a disappearing act. 

Temari had not stopped bugging him about it though, constantly questioning him about the first word he mumbled when he woke up.

**Flashback**

"_Who's Kumiyo???" she asked for the millionth time. _

_Being a man of few words Gaara let his thoroughly annoyed expression signify his answer_

"_You're hiding something, if you don't tell me I will set the evils of Natsumi and Sayuri on your sorry ass" she threatened half-heartedly. _

**End flashback**

On that note.

"UNCLE GAARA!!" squealed Natsumi and Sayuri in unison, latching onto both his arms like monkeys to a tree.

"Yo, the girls missed you and Kankuro so we decided to visit" yawned a worn out Shikamaru walking into his office.

"You sure this wasn't Temari's idea?" Gaara questioned skeptically whilst hauling both giggling girls onto his lap.

Shikamaru gave a guilty look and a wave of understanding passed between them.

"Don't worry, I was warned. I thought you could use a break" he said before turning his attention to the little tykes tugging on his Kazekage robe.

They shot him their best innocent grins which never failed to bring the smallest of smiles onto his otherwise stoic face. Until at least five years ago, smiling was probably the most foreign action to Gaara but eventually it grew on him, the twins, of course, were the catalysts for this achievement.

If possible their smiles seemed to widen at the rare sight of their uncle even remotely happy.

"Where are my little girls?" sounded a playful Temari just about to enter the office.

In true child-like fashion, both Natsumi and Sayuri dug their faces as far into the folds of Gaara's robes as possible giving short, excited squeals along the way.

Peeking in -ever the mischievous mother- Temari caught her husband rolling his eyes, her brother looking somewhat amused and her daughters hiding in his clothes with no avail. A tiny chuckle escaped her.

"Come on girls, uncle Gaara is busy with work"

Immediately the twins shot out of his robes and gave their mother the most irresistible puppy faces. Both parents were immune to it at this point.

Realizing this, the girls cleverly turned their faces towards their next victim, uncle Gaara.

"I can take care of them for the afternoon Temari, you both should rest for a while" he replied after a few moments of internal debating.

She gave him a dubious look before deciding that she did need a rest.

"Okay, but you are going to be on your _best_ behaviour right?" she threatened whilst giving them each a peck on the cheek.

"Yes mommy" they chorused, pleased with themselves.

* * *

An hour later Gaara found himself helplessly walking through the bustling streets of Suna being dragged in every possible direction by his two nieces holding onto his hands tightly. 

As weary as he was he never lost his composure, calmly answering their ridiculous questions with his usual simple, direct and completely serious answers.

Finally rounding the corner and turning back towards the Kazekage building. Natsumi jerked her hand out of his and ran off excitedly in the direction of a busy shopping district.

Reflexively, Gaara pulled the equally restless Sayuri into his arms and walked briskly after her, his blank expression turning slightly distressed

* * *

Kumiyo had decided to let the whole Gaara incident go and just carry on with her mission like a respectful shinobi should. 

The past few days had been hectic at the hospital as missions were piling up along with injuries. It was nothing she couldn't handle, but today the staff thought she needed a break and gave her the rest of the afternoon off.

_More time to check out the library on Suna traditional ninjutsu. Hallelujah _

Walking through the streets of Suna, Kumiyo admired the lively buzz that it seemed to give off. Tasty aromas were filling the air, pleasing sounds of the people just going about their usual business and the sight of happy children fooling around added to the vibrant glow of the village.

Before the feeling of guilt could overcome her, a little ball of energy jumped unknowingly into her arms burying itself into her robes giggling violently.

Moments later a worried looking Kazekage turned the corner and nearly bumped into her. Backing off quickly he opened his mouth to form an apology when he noticed the little bundle curled up nicely in her arms.

"Natsu--"

He stopped as he subconsciously glanced at Kumiyo who was frozen into place, his turquoise eyes clashing with a familiar amber.

Thoughts streamlined into his head and they all voiced the same question.

"Kumiyo?" he questioned distractedly.

Finally pushing out of her momentary mind-block she remembered her place. Bowing her head and averting her gaze out of respect she replied

"Hai, Kazekage-sama"

Slightly jilted by her actions, he carried on with his interrogation much to the growing interest of his nieces who were watching the grown-up interaction with never-before-seen concentration.

"So it was r--"

She had to cut him off to prevent a rather dangerous situation, Gaara already remembering her was bad enough, but should he realize the extent of her actions he could have her arrested for potentially knocking him out and leaving him on the street. Then what use would she be?

"I'm terribly sorry Kazekage-sama, your daughter just happened to bump into me" she blubbered, plopping the child back into Gaara's free arm, once again averting his gaze.

Not once taking his eyes off her, he instantly forgot about his interrupted question and instead fixed another amused expression on his face.

_My face is going to tire out from all this contortion_

"My… daughter?" his stubborn lips feeling a slight tug upwards at the corner.

Natsumi and Sayuri chose this moment to start giggling at their little inside joke.

Kumiyo instinctively looked up at his eyes utterly confused.

"They aren't yours?"

Gaara could swear he didn't have a single funny bone in him, but his reply came as naturally as breathing.

"Not since they came out of my sister, no" his voice teasingly covered with sarcasm. She couldn't fathom how he managed to say all this with a straight face.

Kumiyo looked away abashed, her cheeks flushing a bright red at her assumption. However, she couldn't stop smiling at his answer, feeling slightly relieved.

At the back of Gaara's mind, though he chose not to acknowledge it at this moment, he thought

_But everyone in Suna knows I don't have children_

* * *

**Dun dun duuunnn**

**Aannnyways, I just wanna thank the people who gave me good reviews. I really wasn't expecting it (no I'm not trying to be modest).**

**Gaara seems a little out of character doesn't he? Well compared to other's interpretations. I try to make him stoic but it just doesn't work. **

**I'll try to update ASAP**


	3. Tea, dango and casual chats

**Ahh its so invigorating just to write.**

**I haven't done this yet so**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters presented (except for Kumiyo and the twins)**

* * *

Kumiyo supposedly had a certain power with words; it was her forte, her element. She could see where a conversation was going, manipulate it to her advantage and ultimately take the upper hand in control to get all the right information. 

But whenever she got herself into a conversation with Gaara she seemed to lose it all. He was like a rock, he didn't think – or at least speak – like people usually do. Everything was always so blatantly direct that it wasn't about stepping on the right stones, she just found herself walking down a straight path with him controlling the direction. It was utterly hopeless to even try using wit, her ability to lie had deserted her along with her façade. He was unflappable.

It should have been unnerving encountering such a levelheaded person, but strangely Kumiyo found it refreshing. Well at least after she stopped trying – and failing – to acquire the rhetoric advantage. It was relaxing not having to work her mind off its axis to twist perception and intention, instead by following his lead, conversation turned out to be much more enjoyable, fulfilling even.

Despite its benefits, she could hear distinct warning sounds in the back of her mind. Kumiyo knew she had to remain guarded.

But all the precautions in the world couldn't prevent the outcome. She ended up in an open restaurant eating dango and drinking tea, returning the gaze of Suna's one and only Kazekage and most importantly, doing all this behind enemy lines.

_This is way beyond the help of Kami-sama_

The twins had decided to take their afternoon nap there and then, slumping over the wooden benches in sleepy satisfaction, leaving their uncle and his acquaintance alone to their own discussions.

"You work at the Suna hospital? I haven't seen you there before" Gaara's deep voice inquired

"I'm new there, I just started two months ago"

_Good Kumiyo, keep it short, simple. Two can play this game. _

"Oh?" one eyebrow rose slightly

"Where did you work before then?"

_Maybe not. _

"Well. Uh, before of course, I was studying to be a medical nin"

"How old are you?"

_Its like this man hasn't had a normal conversation in his life, he just jumps from one thing to the other without giving you time to process._

"_Excuse_ me, Kazekage-sama. Is that really important?"

"It isn't anything to be ashamed about, if you aren't going to tell me I could always look it up" he proposed solemnly, his eyes looking suddenly curious.

"I am twenty four, are you satisfied?"

"Hardly"

She huffed. He was being extremely thorough, if this was any indication of what he ruled like as Kazekage, she was going to be sniffed out pretty easily. Especially, since he already knew her, all he needed was the right stimulus and she'd be dead.

"Studying, Kumiyo-san, to specialize in medical ninjustu for a nurse takes only roughly five years after becoming a chuunin. Is there something you are purposefully not telling me?"

Kumiyo couldn't think of any plausible lies, and she didn't think she could pull one off since he could so clearly see through her, so she decided to play the enigma.

"I would appreciate it Kazekage-sama, if you would not delve into my past, as I wish to keep it private"

_There perfectly executed, tones and everything. Not too accusing, but not enough to spark too much interest. _

He shot her a look telling her he was anything but off the topic, his curiosity peaking.

"Alright then Kumiyo-san"

_This is your chance Kumiyo bring it back to familiar ground, make it about __**him**_

Too late.

"So that's why my bruise was already mostly healed when I was returned."

"P-pardon?"

"You healed me that night when that man struck me because you are a medical nin. If you didn't then I would still be unconscious" he explained with his usual blank expression, sipping his tea. He said it like it was a fact.

"R-right" she looked away. She couldn't lie about it now, he was already convinced, she couldn't re-convince an unflappable rock.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Something wasn't right. 

_If she was working at the hospital then why did she leave me outside on the street if she wanted to take me there?_

But before he could start interrogating her, she pounced on the opportunity to change the subject.

"You seem really attached to Natsumi and Sayuri, Kazekage-sama" her eyes flashed with understanding.

_Again with the pleasantries. _

Being constantly referred to as his status was starting to annoy him. It was just a casual conversation, nothing patriotic or work-related about it. For once, he wanted to talk to someone as Gaara, not as their Kazekage.

Not even waiting for a reply, Kumiyo continued.

"They really balance you out. You're always so composed, whilst they are so free. I didn't think you could put up with that so well, maybe it's just the family bond."

Gaara looked at her slightly surprised but kept his face blank. People were never usually that blunt when talking to him, strike that, people never usually talked to him. When they did, it could hardly be considered a proper discussion, just a few short words. Now that someone was actually speaking to the real him about topics outside of work, he found he liked it.

Observing her, Kumiyo seemed perfectly comfortable with what she said, Gaara could tell she meant it sincerely.

"Maybe. Frankly, I don't see how they put up with me. I really don't mind their antics. But I could never keep them entertained, or even take care of them properly" he admitted truthfully.

She looked at him like he was going out of his mind.

"Are you kidding me? I was only with them for an hour and I can tell that they love you. You don't need to entertain them, as far as I can see they are perfectly capable of entertaining both themselves **and **you."

She hesitated before continuing, taking the time to look him directly in the eyes, making sure he knew she meant it. Gaara found this unfamiliar action wholly entrancing.

"When I see you with them, you are obviously very overprotective, which the girls do appreciate in their own way. Children are very intellectual, Kazekage-sama, they can tell of your intentions and emotions, clearly, they understand your nature very well. They ask silly questions because they know you are patient, whereas others would be easily annoyed. They don't demand things from you or throw their feelings at you, possibly because you are too kind and sensitive and they wouldn't want to hurt you unintentionally"

Kumiyo paused, her eyes brightening and she gave him a genuine smile.

"To them you are a great uncle, if ever in doubt, just ask them. Kids don't lie" she finished

Gaara was totally unsure of what to say. Just looking in her eyes was a hard task. But as her words hit home, he felt truly touched.

"I didn't know you were so insightful. That was a pretty good explanation" he complimented

"It's a female thing, plus it's pretty obvious when you look at it" she admitted wryly.

A small silence descended upon them for a moment, where they just looked at each other in complete content.

"Kumiyo-san. Thanks" Gaara murmured softly.

"For what?" she asked, taking a small bite of her dango.

"Being honest with me. Talking to me as a person and not the Kazekage. It's refreshing."

She looked up only to catch him giving her the smallest of smiles.

Kumiyo had tried imagining Gaara smiling once before, and it didn't turn out right. She thought his face was destined to stay in the same position for the rest of its life; blank, devoid and vacant.

_What a waste of a handsome face_ she had thought.

But now that she had glimpsed what his real smile was like, even if it was tiny, she found herself feeling somewhat special; that little bit happier. It suited him perfectly, if possible, she found him even more aesthetically attractive.

Kumiyo felt herself beaming right back at him. But before either of them could carry on, they were interrupted by two little munchkins pulled on both their robes.

"We want mommy" they whined in perfect unison.

* * *

**Thats not it for today. Gimme another few hours and the other chappie will be up.**

**Its just pouring out of me :D. I love the plot though. I haven't decided on all the tiny details, but I've got the overall outcome downpat. I'm actually glad its come together making perfect sense, so now I know where I'm going. **

**This was just a relationship starting chapter, a little more character building and such.**

**Keep tuned and please review if you can (I'm slowly getting hooked on them- thank you my reviewers, this chappie is for you guys), the next one is gonna get a bit more intense XD. **

**p.s**

**I just needed to put this down because I'm paranoid like that. This is ten years after Shukaku's extraction, making Gaara around 25 (yes one year older than Kumiyo)**


	4. Dancing in the moonlight

**This is for Snakes-n-Heels because currently I am your only favourite author, and Opening Up is your only favourite story. EEEEE!!**

**I love my other reviewers too though. XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor will I ever** sob

* * *

Knowing the twins' need for their mother after waking was a dangerous thing to toy with, the girls bid Kumiyo a cute farewell whilst Gaara settled for another grateful smile at which she blushed profusely. 

He couldn't refrain from glancing back at her after walking some distance, she was still standing there looking extremely contented with her amber eyes blending in with the hazy orange sunset. She was quite pretty with her soft, side swept hair reaching below her slim shoulders, and an omnipresent pink flush covering her cheeks. But of course her eyes always seemed to draw him in; they were always so expressive and warm when compared to the cold stares he usually received.

Approaching his house where they were staying for the night, the girls grew impatient and ran in to find their parents without their uncle. He let go an exhaustive sigh, it really was tiring taking care of children.

"MOMMY!! GUESS WHAT WE DID TODAY!!" they screamed, hurriedly trying to find her in one of the many rooms.

Just then Temari walked out of the kitchen in an apron looking rested.

"Oh you're back" she smiled down at her two daughters clinging tightly to her legs.

"Did they behave?" she asked, looking back up to examine him.

Gaara nodded pensively.

"Mommmmmmyyy you're meant to **guess**"

"I don't know, tell me" she played along in a suggestive tone

"We met Kumi-neesan at the marketplace! Then we had dango and tea at the restaurant, then we napped!" they cried enthusiastically.

"Who's Kumi-neesan?" Temari questioned, looking directly at Gaara. Then it clicked.

"You meant Kumiyo??" now she looked as excited as her daughters.

Gaara groaned inwardly, he was never going to hear the end of this.

Realizing it was going to be difficult to extricate any useful information out of her brother she turned back to the two kids on her legs.

"What does Kumi-neesan look like??"

As they were trying to describe her at the same time, motioning rapidly and exaggeratedly with their hands, Kankuro entered the front door tapping Gaara lightly on the shoulder.

Giving him his full attention Kankuro whispered.

"One of our jounins returned from a three day mission in Earth country with minor injuries, the rest of the team is safe, but as team leader he is refusing to brief his report to everyone except the Kazekage"

Gaara nodded silently, remembering the jounin he assigned the mission to, and proceeded to walk out in the direction of the hospital. What ever it was, it must be urgent.

* * *

Kumiyo fell warily onto her couch in her cozy house on the outskirts of Suna, closing her eyes and remembered the day's events. 

_I didn't get to go to the library, I don't have anything to report. Shoot_

Just then her transmitter decided to start buzzing again.

_Perfect_

"Kumiyo reporting"

"The Tsuchikage warns you to be careful of your actions"

Kumiyo froze.

_Did they know?? How did they find out?_

"We suspect the Suna shinobi recently here in Earth country might have heard some information surrounding your case. If anything remotely suspicious happens, tell us"

She exhaled the breath she held in relieved.

"Hai" she replied and disconnected the line.

Almost immediately, her pager went off.

_Emergency night shift? Oh great. _

She shivered, the hospital grounds were scary at night, especially with all the bloodied bodies around.

_The things I do for this mission. _

* * *

Gaara walked down the now darkened hallways which were usually very busy during the day. Now only a few nurses patrolled each floor amidst the unbreakable silence. 

_Room 439_

He entered a smaller, one-bed room with a scruffy looking jounin sitting patiently resting on it. His hitai-ate was covered in dirt and his face was slightly bruised with a couple of bandages wrapped around the sides of his arms.

"Kazekage-sama, thanks for coming to see me so late"

"It is only eight Masakazu-san, although I sensed your news was urgent"

"Hai" he replied swiftly looking at the door, as if checking for eavesdroppers. His voice dropped down to a low whisper which even Gaara had to strain his ears to hear.

"When in Earth country, we listened in on a conversation between some powerful shinobis, for some reason they had a lot of information on Suna. They mentioned our strengths and weaknesses, even some of our secret bloodline limits were discussed."

Gaara's brows furrowed slightly.

_That's impossible, the only way they would know about our secrets is if—_

"It's a spy. It has to be. Right under our noses. Judging from the information, his mission must be purely observational, I don't suspect they are after anything specific but nevertheless a spy is a spy."

He mulled this over for a while. He knew it was fully plausible, after all Hidden villages had implanted spies all over in the past and Suna was no exception.

_But one **in** Suna? From Iwagakure? They certainly are not our allies as Iwagakure and Konoha do not have a particularly friendly past. _

Gaara had heard recent reports of the Hidden village of Rocks planning something in secret to boost their village in political status.

_Could this be it? They want war?_

He shook his head.

"It's too early to jump to conclusions Masakazu-san, we will look into the matter. If you hear anymore contact me"

_I'll have Kankuro investigate the potential spy. It could be anyone, an observational spy doesn't necessarily have to be a shinobi. How helpful._ _I can't do anything at this point except be overly alert and plan ahead. Maybe we could send in a spy ourselves. _

Gaara realized he was just standing there thinking. Masakazu was looking quite uncomfortable around him.

_I guess some things don't ever change_

Already used to the way people acted around him, he hastily excused himself.

* * *

Walking back down the hallway towards the stairs, his thoughts brought him back to the only other person to ever treat him normally, Kumiyo. 

_She could be here; it's her job after all. What are the chances of her taking the night shift? I'll go down to the reception and check. _

He halted and shook his head.

_What am I thinking? There's no need to go that far, it'll be like I'm stalking her. It will just scare her seeing the same person twice in one day. After all we are just acquaintances, nothing more. _

It was understandable to want to be around one of the only people who ever accepted him, he wanted to feel included, like he belonged in something. Sure he had his family and some friends in Konoha, but they weren't always there all the time, not enough to keep him from feeling lonely. He didn't have a single friend, other than Kankuro, in Sunagakure and Gaara thought Kumiyo might want to be one.

_Of course not. She was probably just being nice or even feeling pity for you today, she's the type of person who acts like that with everyone. It doesn't mean she wants to befriend you, and if she did, her intentions are still unclear. She might just use you. _

He hated thinking such thoughts, but it was just in his nature to be overly cautious of the people around him. He had personal reasons for not giving his trust so easily, especially now that he was Kazekage. Gaara recollected the painful childhood memory of seeing his uncle die trying to kill him.

A small rustling, however, pulled him out of his agonizing reverie. He turned towards the direction it came from, making his sand gourd turn completely into sand soundlessly so that he didn't create too large a shadow.

Stepping quietly towards the door the noise came from, he tried to pick up any more signs of an intruder.

Sure enough, he heard something, but it was hardly what he was expecting.

A soft voice was humming a melody under her breath. Gaara edged closer, wanting to hear more. It was captivating and almost melancholic.

Turning the corner he caught sight of a nurse cleaning up a used room. She was slender and tall, her movements belied a certain gracefulness and serenity he had not yet seen another woman possess.

Feeling slightly more confidant, the woman allowed herself to fall into the song and the emotions it made her feel, her volume increasing so that Gaara could hear it clearly.

Her voice fit her perfectly; gentle, sweet and beautiful. It gave him the sudden urge to glimpse her face.

Her head slowly rose and she seemed hesitant but about to do something, reaching up to her nurse cap, she gracefully removed it, shaking out her long chestnut tresses.

_Wait. Is that Kumiyo?_

He could recognize that unique light brown hue anywhere, however he felt no urge to move from his hiding place, content to just watch her enchanting performance.

Her figure started swaying delicately to her tune, her head tilting back to just soak in the moment.

_Beautiful_ he thought.

The moonlight framed the whole scene flawlessly, it caught on the locks of her wavey mane and it flowed with the smooth movements of her body, creating almost an ethereal glow around her like an angel. Lifting her arms, her swaying developed into full fledged dancing. Gaara had never been so hypnotized by such a sight. Her hips rocked back and forth in perfect syncopation with her feet and arms – which had found their way above her head. Finally facing him, he saw she had shut her eyes with a calm expression upon her striking face. Her melody was so mesmerizing, her voice reverberating and seeping into the very fibers of his being as the emotions washed over him too.

There was something about her actions and her song that stirred within him a deep desire. Her silky movements and soft voice emanated a sense of complete and utter freedom so pure and refined he felt the need to memorize every single detail.

Yet also, there was a part of him who felt like he had become privy to something much too private. There she was dancing when she thought no one was looking, bearing her soul for all to see, but obviously not intended for anyones eyes.

_I shouldn't be here_

Gaara made to move back towards the stairs but stumbled slightly, quickly capturing her attention as she whipped around, amber eyes locking onto his in fear.

All traces of her beautiful song vanished with the wind.

* * *

**Ahh I really wanna continue but it's late. **

**Let's just say the next chapter will be quite a step forward.** rubs head in confusion** I'm sorry I can get quite weird when I try to go all cryptic.**

**I need opinions here cause I think I'm moving the story along wayyy too fast. Like all the events are bam bam bam and you guys aren't getting enough time to process. **

**Please review, hope you're all liking it so far. **


	5. The Awakening

**SORRY I didn't update for a while, I had a field trip in Thailand (absolutely gorgeous there)**

**Plus I had to get another story off my chest. A oneshot of a favourite pairing, Shizune and Genma. Give it a read pretty please? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

* * *

Gaara suddenly felt strangely empty after her song ended so abruptly. Like he couldn't remember a time when it didn't penetrate the very core of his being. 

The unwelcome silence seemed to howl out at him mockingly.

They stood there like statues just staring at each other, their eyes never breaking contact for what felt like an eternity. Gaara used this moment to absorb the stunning picture before him.

He watched every emotion dance in her expressive eyes.

_Surprise, fear, embarrassment, curiosity. _

Oddly enough, anger didn't seem to flicker even once in her alluring pools of amber.

A small breeze broke through the window of the room, however their eyes still remained locked. It caressed the curves of her delicate figure hidden beneath that unflattering white uniform, and it playfully toyed with the soft curls in her chestnut locks.

As it reached him, he picked up on a familiar honeysuckle and dew scent which seemed to linger in the air.

* * *

Kumiyo stood there, certain that she looked like a deer caught in the headlights. All she could do was stare right back at him whilst a flurry of emotions swept over her. 

Her heartbeat and breath had quickened, the silence pounded in her ears but it was all seemingly drowned out by looking at his steady, unwavering eyes. Its turquoise hue seemed to pierce her very soul, looking deep into its darkest recesses. She felt naked under his gaze, and this thought scared her to no end.

Of course she was embarrassed that he had caught her dancing like some mad woman, but she felt oddly violated because he had seen such a private moment. It wasn't that she was really into dancing or singing, it was just her way of letting go when no one was around.

It was her way of being completely herself and not pretending to be Kaori, the klutzy medical nin from Suna. And that meant that he had seen _her_, for who she really was.

Kumiyo searched his eyes desperately for a sign, and they looked to be in slight awe but there was something she couldn't distinguish. A small trace of… longing?

This realization seemed to jerk her out of their little moment and she voiced the first words that came out of her mouth.

"What are you doing here?"

Gaara looked a little surprised by her sudden outburst but quickly reacted.

"I was visiting a patient" his deep voice rumbled, resonating around the room.

Another moment of silence passed between them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. It was rude of me" he murmured, hardly sounding apologetic. He made no attempt to depart and his eyes never left hers, instead they looked at her with a much deeper intensity which seemed to rise with every passing second.

Kumiyo felt a blush creep up on her, starting to feel every bit as embarrassed as she should have been, and it took all the strength she had in her petite frame had to break their gaze to look at her feet.

Sensing this he was quick to respond, but it didn't come out as he intended.

"Don't be embarrassed. It was beautiful" he whispered hoarsely in an unfamiliar low, husky voice.

Kumiyo clung to her already ragged breath as she tried to get a hold of herself. His comment sounded so sincere yet so personal that it seemed to awaken something within her. It was undeniable now. The tension in the air, the tone in his voice, and the reaction in her body spoke volumes.

_No, enough of this. Get out!_

"I- I should be going now" she mumbled, keeping her head bent downwards and she hesitantly walked towards the doorway where he happened to be standing.

"Kazekage-sama" she addressed, bowing her head even lower in respect, refusing to look back into his eyes for fear of what she would find… or what he would for that matter.

_Kumiyo get a grip_.

As she turned to move away down the hall, she felt something tickle her fingers gently.

_Sand?_

Kumiyo turned back around to face him a little startled.

Gaara had moved in faintly closer to her so that they were only a foot apart now which meant she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. They looked at her filled with loneliness and a gentleness she didn't think he possessed, even his features didn't seem as devoid of emotion as before as they twisted into a sad smile. Her breath caught and she suddenly felt extremely nervous.

"Don't" he mumbled under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

Her brows knitted and she looked at him, confused.

"Call me Gaara" he requested with the utmost sincerity.

Kumiyo's eyes widened in shock and she shook her head.

"I can't do that" she breathed, entranced by his eyes and distinctly feeling like she was losing all control.

Gaara stiffened and hurt flashed deep down in the pools of turquoise. His lips which once held a small smile, pursed into a line and he nodded his head in feigned understanding.

Despair clutched at her heart as she realized what she had condemned him to.

"Gaara-sama?" she proposed weakly.

His face remained blank, just watching her for a few seconds before he gave her the small smile from that afternoon.

"Goodnight, Kumiyo-san" his sand brushed her arms once again before collecting itself back into his gourd as he walked away.

Staring at his broad, retreating figure, Kumiyo let out the breath she had kept in. She shivered slightly trying to make sense of the very intimate moment they just shared.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

Arriving at his house, Gaara found the lights already off and a chorus of snores could be heard down the hall. His sister and her family were undoubtedly asleep.

Quietly making his way to his own room, he shut the door and closed his eyes in a wistful sigh. Removing his gourd and clothes he attempted to calm his raging mind.

_What came over me? I don't act like that, ever._

He felt like such an idiot for exposing his emotions so clearly in front of her. He was supposed to be collected and responsible, but her amber eyes always seemed to open him up and see right through his carefully built barricade. Despite his better reasoning, his heart already began to trust her.

Not only that, but his body was starting to respond to her. Every smell, every movement attracted him. It was uncontrollable and painfully unbearable, it took almost all the strength he could muster not to come any closer to her when she turned back around.

Gaara lay down and closed his eyes, trying to smooth out his frazzled thoughts. He was still feeling the effects from their little encounter, and the rush of emotions was all too much for him, especially since he had never felt any of them before.

Who _was_ this woman? Why is she so different from everybody else? Why does she not fear or hate him?

This was all so new to him, he never felt the urge to be that close to a person before, never felt such a nerve-racking want to memorize every single detail in someone's movements or appearance, and never paid such close attention to the smallest gesture or flicker of emotion.

_Kumiyo, what are you doing to me?_ Was the last, and most resounding thought to echo through his mind before Gaara fell into a fitful sleep filled with sounds of a certain hypnotizing tune, swirls of amber and a very distinct honeysuckle aroma.

* * *

**AHHHH I'm sorry!!**

**Its soo short I know, I wanted this chapter to be longer but I think you guys needed to know I wasn't dead. **

**Ugh, and I wanted to spend more time on it too but hey. **

**Next chappie comes as fast as I can make it. (Reviews do help- I'm not begging or anything but seriously they do wonders for motivation)**


	6. Gaara the unavoidable

**Hwachacha! I've been struck by the inspiration lightning bolt (and possibly a whole lot of hormones but hey what can you do?). Just sorta came up with the beginning of a Sasuke x Sakura fic. Mmhmm smells good to me. **

**But I can't really figure out the plot or how the story will evolve. So let's just carry on with this story while I ponder like pooh bear (in that really cute 'I'm-not-really-going-to-get-anything-done' way)**

**ONWARDS!**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

* * *

_This is not good_

Kumiyo thought as her back slid down the wall of the nurse's office landing in a messy, distressed pile on the floor. Her eyes were squeezed shut trying to block out the images of his intense turquoise eyes and tousled, dark red hair.

_What happened to not drawing attention to yourself Kumiyo?? Now you are on first name basis with the Kazekage?? Once it gets dangerous it's not just a matter of an extraction, you can't just disappear now without drawing his attention can you? Bloody brilliant. _

"Ugh, this is getting way too deep" she mumbled under her breath.

_Got that right. And not just on the mission level either. _

"Shut up" Kumiyo whined out loud to her own conscience.

But she couldn't ignore the message, she knew that she had just put herself on very shaky ground, and she most definitely knew that it was not going to lead her any place safe anytime soon. The ominous feeling resounded in her very bones.

Sighing she let her head bump back into the wall dejectedly.

_Kumiyo you cannot possibly be attracted to him._

"It's not like I meant for it to happen" she moaned into her hands like a teenage girl giving excuses to her irritated mother.

Suddenly she sat up, eyes widened and shock registered on her fair face.

_Wait. Did I just?_

"Oh Kami-sama" she whispered as realization dawned upon her, although a part of her already knew what her body had been telling her all along.

"I don't think Kami-sama can get you out of cleaning the archives tonight Kaori-san. Break time's over, get to work" boomed a boisterous woman, dressed in the head nurse uniform, complete with an ever-present frown upon her chubby face.

Slightly shaken by her sudden entry, Kumiyo quickly scrambled to her feet and attempted to straighten her messy appearance into something more presentable.

"H-Hai Hanami-senpai" and she took off in the direction of the Suna hospital archives, grabbing a broom along the way.

_Yeah that's right Kumiyo, you were meaning to get in there to search medical records and Suna medicinal cures remember? Don't lose sight of the target, this is your mission. _

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Time flew by fast in Suna. Now a couple of weeks had passed and Kumiyo was faring rather well at avoiding Gaara at all costs. 

After continuously denying their attraction, she figured the best way to go about it and get back on track was to completely steer clear of him, that way she could continue her mission without digging herself deeper into the trouble hole. It was working rather well just doing her usual work as a nurse during the day and signing up for as many night shifts as possible at night, hoping he didn't come again for another visit.

Just when things had started to go back to normal, a few days ago he decided to drop by to see her at the hospital whilst talking once again with the hospitalized jounin from the other night. He was just around the corner asking Hanami-senpai of her whereabouts when Kumiyo stopped in her tracks as she was about to walk in on them. Luckily, she had recognized his deep tone before she took a step further; somehow all her senses seemed extra sensitive when picking up his presence.

"Gomen-nasai Kazekage-sama, but there are no nurses in the Suna hospital named Kumiyo"

Her eyes widened and the heart beat sped up.

_Oh no no no no no._

When he didn't respond, Hanami started babbling for fear of disappointing him.

"Do you think you could describe her?"

"Wavy chestnut hair that comes below the shoulders, amber eyes, about 5'7"

"Oh you mean Kaori? She is on her lunch break right now, is there anything I can help you with instead?" the head nurse questioned in an uncharacteristic sugar-coated voice with just a hint of curiosity lying in her undertone.

As somber as ever, he politely dismissed her and walked away silently.

Kumiyo breathed a sigh of relief and just managed to block out her senior's intrusive stare, obviously questioning their relationship.

_I don't know how much longer this can continue until he actually finds me… or my secret_

Though the prospect of seeing him again did seem to spark her pulse up a few notches before she hastily reprimanded herself and diligently carried on with her work.

* * *

Somewhere on the other side of Suna, Gaara sat rubbing his temples trying to deal with the now pressing information that desperately needed his attention. 

Kankuro had so far, not come up on any leads, however now with an increasing number of top secret reports coming through and suspicious activity arising from Iwakagure, Gaara was almost certain they had a spy in the midst.

This had put the Kazekage in a tight position. With all the information they had probably already acquired Gaara didn't want to go to war with Iwakagure if he had a choice, even if Konoha could help out. It would be much too damaging to Suna, and he couldn't bring such destruction upon his people.

_But they aren't leaving me with much of an alternative now are they?_

The only logical course of action now was to sniff out the mole, find out Iwa's intentions and prepare for the worst. Since they seemed to be losing information by the second, they needed to find the spy fast.

_Sending in our own spy to Iwa wouldn't work. Such high profile information wouldn't leak out to newcomers or be recorded on scrolls. _

Gaara frowned.

_Putting all possible suspects through lie detectors wouldn't work either, they would have sent in professionals. _

The only choice was to let Kankuro continue his work, while he sealed up all the remaining important intelligence left and placed tight restrictions only allowing himself to access them.

Just then Kankuro wearily stepped into his office.

"Gaara, I've looked at all the access records to the medical archives and no name comes up more than twice within the past month. Considering the fact that the archives are nearly impossible to break into, and that whoever is reporting the information certainly needs more than two visits a month, I'd say we've narrowed our search down to hospital staff, jounin level shinobi and upper echelon Suna advisors who all have direct access to those files."

Gaara mulled it over for a while.

"We need another spy" he suggested, more to himself than to Kankuro who merely shot him a confused look.

"A jounin, someone who knows other jounins well. That can't be you Kankuro, you don't socialize with the others, plus they wouldn't reveal any information to you since you are related to me, the Kazekage." Gaara's brother struggled to get a hold of what he was trying to say.

"You want another jounin, to spy on other jounins?"

"Yes, someone we trust who is most definitely not the spy, to look for suspicious behaviour within the others, maybe even track them and their whereabouts. That way, I can have you look into the hospital staff and I will keep an eye on my advisors."

Kankuro allowed the information to sink in, his face paint contorted with his features making him appear even more intimidating.

"Then it would have to be Masakazu as he already knows of the spy and is well connected to other shinobi"

_Exactly. _

Gaara had been thinking about that plan for a while now, but since the search had been narrowed it allowed him to put it into action.

He stood up from behind his desk hastily.

"I'll go see him now, he's being discharged today so the timing is perfect"

As his left his thoughts couldn't help but stray towards a certain amber-eyed nurse he hoped to catch down at the hospital.

_She's been avoiding me_ he scowled.

Ever since that night he had wanted to speak to her to try and clear up his muddled emotions. If anything he just wanted to see her and talk to her. He needed to know that she would still treat him the same as before, but every time he turned up looking for her she was out.

Not to mention the fact that she had given him a fake name. Was she really that frightened that she had to go under an alias?

This only seemed to confirm past conclusions. That she was the same as everyone else, just acting nice to him as he was the Kazekage but as soon as their duty is done they scurry away like little mice.

Gaara shook his head. He couldn't think of Kumiyo so lowly without giving her a chance to explain herself.

_I have to see her _came his resolve, ignited by both the determination in his mind and the dull ache in his body.

* * *

"Kaori-san, you look cheerful today" commented a wiry, old lady in a hospital bed. Despite her age and appearance she was a kind-hearted soul who only wanted someone to talk to. 

Kumiyo stopped humming and turned around to look into her warm brown eyes, still retaining the smile on her face.

"Hai, Takamura-san, I feel great"

"Ya look great too!" croaked an elderly man on the other side of the room, though time wasn't on his side he somehow managed to crack a suggestive grin and a wink.

Kumiyo giggled slightly, now used to Buntaro's come-on's.

"Oh shut up you old pervert" grumbled Takamura, it was amazing how her facial expression could change so quickly.

Kumiyo loved their constant bickering, it was times like this that made her feel horrible for what she was doing to their village.

_One day_. She thought, as she checked on Takamura's IV.

_They are going to realize they are perfect for each other._

Before Kumiyo's mind had time to register the sad pang in her chest she was thrust out of her thoughts by her very loud boss.

"Kaori! You were supposed to be in the pediatric ward twenty minutes ago! Start doing your job or get out!!" screamed Hanami as she ran down the hallway trying to prep for an operation at the same time.

They all exchanged glances.

"Hai hai" she exclaimed, moving towards the door.

"Kaori don't go, my foot has been acting up I need a massage" whined Buntaro.

Without even having to turn back around she waved her goodbye.

"I'll send Usagi-san up to do it for me"

_That shut him up_ she smiled.

* * *

Humming under her breath as she trounced along to the second floor pediatric ward, Kumiyo turned the corner only to find Gaara speaking to a jounin patient about to be discharged. 

Her pace slowed down considerably, and breathing became more strenuous. Her eyes darted around looking for the nearest escape, but she couldn't move from her direction.

Looking back up her eyes locked onto his and she lost it.

They were exactly the same as she remembered them, firm and determined. Now he gave her a look which said it all.

_We need to talk_.

Kumiyo panicked and she struggled to pull all logical thought back into her mind.

_Just keep walking, ignore him before you put yourself in more trouble_. _That's it, good girl, keep going. _

Just as she passed them, she felt his familiar, warm sand tug on her wrist gently.

* * *

Gaara finished up the conversation quickly telling Masakazu to contact him if he had any problems and they would go over the results in private. 

"Hai Kazekage-sama" he saluted before limping off in the other direction.

Gaara nodded in return distractedly, turning around to face the cause of his most recent dilemma whom he had in a firm hold.

Gazing down at her panic stricken face he released her, and felt a flow of relief when she made no attempt to run away.

"I-"

"We shouldn't talk here" Gaara interrupted as he glanced at a pair of doctors strolling down the very open corridor. Instinctively he grasped her hand in his and tugged her into one of the empty rooms.

Temporarily ignoring the feel of her skin against his, he only stopped to notice how small and delicate her hand was in his rough, callused one.

Finding themselves in a fairly small, dimly lit room, he swiveled around to properly face her.

"Who are you?" he questioned rather aggressively

Slightly taken aback by both his question and attitude she struggled to answer.

"I'm Kumiyo" she finally pieced together.

"Are you sure? Or is it Kaori?" he continued unrelentingly.

Realization dawned upon her.

"Kaori is my mother's name" she filled in for him, lying through her teeth. She couldn't really look him in the eye.

"My real name is Kumiyo, but I didn't want the people at work to know that because it feels too personal to let patients and colleagues call me by that name"

Now it was his turn to look confused but he seemed to let it go.

"Alright" he replied slowly, as if still unsure of her explanation.

"You've been ignoring me" he simply stated, hurt staining his turquoise eyes.

Once again she averted his gaze, a mixture of guilt and embarrassment overtaking her soft features.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do" she murmured truthfully, allowing herself to look back up at him.

As amber clashed with turquoise, he felt the same response deep within him stir even more violently than before. Gaara's breathing deepened and the tension in the room rose exponentially.

He observed her for a minute. Her panicky expression had subsided; instead it was replaced by a look of anxious fear and anticipation. Her own breath had hastened and Gaara could feel it against his neck.

"I wanted to talk to you about that night" he marched on with great difficulty, peeling his eyes away from her lips.

She gulped and tore herself away from his invisible grasp, seeming to shake herself out of her trance.

"I'm sorry, it was a mistake. Let's just forget about it" she finalized.

Gaara chose not to respond verbally, only letting his eyes speak for him. She looked at him apprehensively.

"What?" she questioned softly.

He shook his head. It was then he realised just how much he had missed her presence over the past few weeks.

"No it wasn't" he murmured before being interrupted by a huge rumble reverberating around the whole hospital. It shook the floor violently and dust from the ceiling blanketed a thick sheet over their bodies.

Before Gaara was able to react he was suddenly jerked forward along with the rest of the building and slammed into Kumiyo, however managed to angle his body at the last second so that he absorbed the damage with his arms and legs.

Barely able to recover and get his bearings he realized the ground was splitting up and cracking whilst they were being thrust in every direction. The floor was now shaking madly and Gaara wrapped his arms around her reflexively, shielding her head and holding her safely against him.

_An earthquake_?

The building now felt like it was at an angle, and he could hear ear-piercing screams echo all around them, the only thought that came to his panic-stricken mind was

_Suna wasn't built to withstand earthquakes_.

A loud crack sounded above them. Glancing upwards Gaara saw the ceiling just about to crumble onto them, briefly catching Kumiyo's frightened gaze as she tightly hung onto him, he shot her a silent, reassuring look before covering them fully in his protective sand dome.

* * *

**Aaanndd that's a wrap. **

**Sorry it's a pretty uneventful chapter. Well at least compared to what's coming up next. I wanted to give a longer chappie, so it took more time, plus you have no idea how hard it was to figure out the mechanics of the plot at this point. **

**Again I gotta apologize, this time for a crappier writing, I just really wanted to get it out, so its not exactly my best ******

**Stay tuned, next one out soon. **


	7. How to save a life

**(tear) I know. The earthquake thing feels so random. But I had to do something to bring the story to where I wanted it. It was the best I could think up at 1 in the morning. **

**I actually re-did that part, because it didn't have much of a boom so re-read it for a better grasp of the mis-en-scene in this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

For a few minutes there was nothing but an eerie silence accompanied by pitch-black darkness. All Kumiyo had to help her discern whether she was conscious or not was her sense of touch, and right now she felt herself clinging onto someone tightly, her eyes squeezed shut. 

She felt his labored breathes against her own, caressing her neck with every warm exhalation.

She felt his heart beat reassuringly beneath her ear, steady and calm.

For a few moments, it was just them together in their own little world.

Kumiyo felt his grip on her waist tighten as they heard another ear-shattering scream penetrate through his protective dome, and he shifted them both onto their sides smoothly.

The rumbling had only subsided for a while, yet always hauntingly remained in the background. Every now and again, the ground would give unexpected shakes as if to jest at them before making its surprise return.

Kumiyo was sure that if Gaara wasn't here with her, not only would she be crushed, but she would be scared beyond belief. At this her fingers shakily tightened their grip on his back.

He noticed.

"Are you hurt?" he whispered into her ear, concerned.

She couldn't find the strength to summon her voice, for fear of provoking another assault, so she merely shook her head slightly, against his shoulder.

It was then she took note of their close proximity. In her panic she had not noticed before, but now realized how their bodies had been pressed up against each other. In fact, they were so close it felt like they were melded together, their breath and heartbeat in perfect synchronization.

"Kumiyo, listen to me" he spoke hastily.

She squeezed him in response to let him know she was doing so.

"I need you to trust me"

She opened her eyes, even in pure darkness she sought out his own. She knew what he was asking of her, and she felt determination build up strongly within her.

As Kazekage he needed to get to his people, and as a nurse she had to help them. They needed to get out at quickly as possible.

"What do I do?"

"I need you to hold onto me tightly"

Kumiyo did as he asked, and wrapped her arms around his neck as he twisted into a crouching position.

She felt his back stiffen.

"You need to be off the floor, wrap your legs around my waist" he ordered quietly.

Reluctantly, her legs found his waist and she then hoisted herself off the floor in a sort of koala-bear motion.

Suddenly, the sand around them shifted swiftly forming a sort of tunnel. At the end she saw a small ray of light where she figured they would escape.

Without having to crawl out, the sand transported them to the end, and as they left their position she heard a resounding boom of the rocks that formed the ceiling, topple over each other onto the floor where they once were.

Their movement seemed good enough provocation for a second wave of attack and the ground once again began to quiver uncontrollably.

Once they reached their destination, Gaara managed to stand stably whilst still hoisting her petite body. She unwound her arms and legs, shakily coping with the unsteady ground but still holding onto him as support.

They both took a good look around.

This side of the hospital seemed to barely be in tact, luckily none of the walls, ceiling or floors had given way except for where they both had been. However, as far as Kumiyo could forecast, it wouldn't stay like this for long.

Looking out the window, she saw many of the nurses and doctors already evacuating the patients out the entrance and out of most of the danger. The rest of Suna was in shambles, however a majority of the infrastructure had managed to keep from collapsing. Only the hospital had found itself in a more pressing situation as it suffered the brunt of the attack and seemed to be the most vulnerable because of its height.

The same frightened scream from before sounded from the pediatric ward, jerking them both out of their reverie.

"Help us!" a young voice wailed.

Kumiyo acted upon instinct, recognizing the voice as that of a brave, little girl who had broken her leg a week ago. She ran towards it, ignoring the increasingly violent trembles.

"Aiko! Where are you??" she hollered.

"Kaori-neesan?" a small voice whimpered weakly from behind the doorway.

Kumiyo ran inside finding around eight children huddled closely together bawling their eyes out in fear. Glancing to their feet, she saw the floor giving way and little Aiko slipping into it much to the distress of the other children.

She lunged for her and grabbed her arm before she was swallowed completely, but before she could haul her to safety she caught another deafening crack from above. Squeezing her eyes shut she awaited her fate only to find it did not come.

Gazing upwards, Kumiyo found a stretch of sand once again sheltering her and she looked towards its origin.

"Quick get out of there!"

Hastily struggling to her feet, she pulled Aiko into her arms and cradled her protectively whilst helping Gaara to herd out the rest of the children.

Once back out into the corridor Gaara stopped them and thrust his arms out the window. Kumiyo stared at him in horror.

"You can't be serious" she cried, thinking he was going to make their escape by hauling themselves out the window.

He didn't even flinch at her apparent misunderstanding, too concentrated on what he was doing. Kumiyo glanced out the window and gasped.

Gaara was lifting a large amount of sand from the ground up to their level. Finally understanding, she turned around to lift the children one by one onto the sill in a hurry.

Despite their primary reluctance, Kumiyo coaxed each child into the sand enclave and once the last one was in she prepared herself to climb in with them.

"Kazekage-sama!!" a faint voice screamed from below. She looked down to find one of the doctors waving frantically up at them.

"There are still two left!! On the top floor!!"

Kumiyo exchanged glances with him and saw the resolve form in his turquoise eyes.

_How can he be so strong and so calm at a time like this?_

She made her decision and immediately started to clamber out of the sand when she felt him clasp her hand and push her away. Their eyes locked once again and this time they told her not to follow. She felt the sand start to lower them down and she shot him a look out of fear, not for herself but for his wellbeing. He gave her a reassuring smile and gently let go of her hand.

"No" she murmured, still reaching for him but only managed to brush his fingertips in a hasty goodbye and watched his figure quickly retreat back into the crumbling edifice.

Kumiyo knew she had nothing to worry about, he was strong and perfectly capable. But she couldn't help but feel a small warning in the back of her mind, and a scream build up in her throat.

Her amber pools filled with worry as she descended to the ground and she just knew.

_I need to get back up there_.

**(a/n: what a wonderful place to leave a cliffie. Nah I'm not that evil… I'm worse muhahahaa)**

* * *

Leaping over a pile of rocks, his eyes darted hurriedly in every direction, searching for the stairs. Gaara's path was fast becoming narrower and narrower and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to see anything not directly in front of him. 

He could hear them now, a small, faded pounding and wailing against a door above him. Gazing upwards he forgot all about the stairs and concentrated his sand on a point in the ceiling.

Seconds later a burst of sand knocked away the remains of the ceiling and Gaara rose on a sand platform up to the top floor.

"Oh Kazekage-sama! Thank Kami, we're saved!" wept a distraught Takamura, hobbling as fast as she could over to him.

Gaara glanced at the other person in the room who was previously pounding on the door, an old man who looked like he was falling apart faster than the building itself.

Sensing his loss of time, he noticed the walls about to cave in and the ceiling starting to crack.

He swiftly moved to the window, motioning for the two to follow him, and started the process of summoning the sand up as fast as he could.

Takamura obeyed him diligently, however Buntaro seemed to lack substantial strength in order to bring himself over to the window.

Another ominous crack sounded, and Gaara used his remaining sand to support the ceiling.

"Come here" he helped the old lady up onto the sill and into the small sand platform carefully.

Quickly turning around to find the old man, he saw that he remained frozen in place still on the other side of the room.

Groaning inwardly, he took a rapid step forward before realizing what Buntaro was fearfully looking up at.

The part of the ceiling Gaara's sand couldn't hold up any longer had fractured away creating a sort of large spear aimed at the old man who was staring at it in pure fright.

Gaara's mind only had time to make one choice before it fell right into him.

_I don't have any sand left._

He rammed his body into the poor man, pushing him away from the aim of the splint and putting himself in its way instead.

He closed his eyes and concentrated all his strength on keeping the sand support on the ceiling and as the platform before he took the hit.

Slash. Gaara was thrown back by the force of the strike and flew back. He opened his eyes to find a large gash across his chest spilling with dark red blood. He used all of his remaining strength to look at the old man.

"Go" was all he managed before passing out and succumbing to the darkness.

* * *

**Lol I am that evil. **

**Next chap out soon. Reviews appreciated. **

**Much love. **


	8. Becoming One

**Ugh I feel horrible adding the earthquake now, but it's the only waayy.**

**Plus I kinda like it (why do you think I'm writing this part of the story so quickly?) very very EXCITING for meee :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

Everything felt like it was going in slow motion for Kumiyo, every sound she heard seemed to echo in her mind, not quite being processed, which was a stark contrast with her pulse as her heart seemed to hammer so hard her ribs started to ache. In fact, her whole body felt disassembled; her stomach was lurching, her arms and legs were numb and her blood was overflowing with adrenaline. 

After making sure the children were safe, she turned back towards the hospital with only one thought in mind. Getting to Gaara.

Just as she was about to walk towards the collapsing building, another round of screams and gasps made their way across a gathering crowd. Looking up Kumiyo saw the roof of the top floor where Gaara was tremble and bits of it fell off almost knocking, what seemed to be Takamura, off the sand pedestal.

Against the will of her aching muscles she started to sprint as fast as she could in that direction, now only hearing her own breath in her ears. As soon as she was about to cross the threshold a strong, nearly aggressive arm stopped her.

"What are you doing I have to get in there!" she screamed at what looked to be a middle-aged jounin.

"It's too dangerous, you must help the others" he replied in his monotone voice.

Kumiyo tried punching and kicking him, but he only grabbed her waist in an attempt to haul her over his shoulders. Struggling to get her feet back on the ground she cried

"But the Kazekage is in danger, aren't you going to do anything??"

As if to prove her point, the rest of the roof crumbled and half of it slammed down like it was trying to kill all the occupants inside. Kumiyo glanced at the sand platoon only seeing Takamura still in it screaming her head off.

_No, he's still not out. _

In the back of her mind she could have sworn she saw the sand tremble slightly. In fact she could feel her own body shaking with fear and panic.

With a newfound strength she pushed the heavy jounin away and tried running back in, only to find that he was too fast for her and caught her again.

"The Kazekage can handle himself"

"But he still needs help. Look for yourself. Please" she grew desperate and started begging.

Looking into his hardened eyes she saw no remorse. No inclination at all to help his leader, he looked as if he didn't even care that Gaara might die. At this, some part of Kumiyo started crying on his behalf for all the hardships she realized he would have gone through.

_Coward_.

Just then, her panic and grief turned into full-fledged anger, she brought out her kunai and slashed at his flak-jacket, not intending to do any damage but not minding if she did.

"Why you-"

"What's going on? Where's Gaara?" questioned an anxious Kankuro pushing his way through the crowd.

Seizing the opportunity, Kumiyo ran towards him.

"Please you have to help him. He's on the top floor trying to rescue two other patients but the roof has already collapsed" she panted.

The sand platoon chose that moment to shake even more violently as if trying with all its might to hold itself together, but it just couldn't and fell. It's only occupant accompanying it.

"No" Kumiyo breathed, despair clutching at her heart, it could only mean one thing.

Kankuro was the first on the scene and skillfully sent out one of his puppets, Kuroari (Black Ant), flying out to safely capture her before she plummeted to her death.

Seconds later Kankuro sent up Sanshouo just before the whole building fell to its demise.

_Please please please_. Kumiyo prayed silently, closing her eyes as if it would miraculously make everything better.

The ground shook with the final, and most destructive blow when the hospital collapsed. Mounds of dust flew out in every direction, and piles of rubble were all that remained when the haze cleared up.

_No one could survive that_

Kumiyo could hear her heart thumping in her ear, as the scene confirmed her fears, and she didn't even realize she was crying until she tasted her salty tears on her lips.

Kankuro looked just as distraught, however she was too caught up in her own grief to take much notice.

_I was too late_

Kumiyo wasn't really a dark and vengeful person but she felt like murdering the jounin who had held her back just then.

Taking one final look through her bleary eyes, she heard some movement from the debris. Suddenly filled with hope she started slowing walking toward the origin of the sounds. Right in the center of the mess, a large boulder shifted off a pile of rock and underneath, undamaged and still in tact was Kankuro's puppet, Sanshouo.

She couldn't hear what he said but he started running towards it looking hopeful. Controlling it with his charka strings he lifted its protective frills to find two bodies within.

Kankuro's face lit up and he started running faster. Moments later when he got closer, the expression was replaced with worry and he turned around.

"I need a doctor here!! Someone get me a doctor now!" his voice covered in dread.

A couple of doctors in the crowd responded to his cry for help and they each held several remaining first aid boxes.

Both the figures placed within the wooden puppet weren't moving.

_Something's wrong_

Kumiyo had to see for herself, and she felt her legs move like the wind beneath her. She wasn't being cautious and her ankles slipped and knocked into the rocks more than a few times but she didn't care. Her determined amber eyes were locked on Gaara's pale, limp body.

Finally arriving there she saw he had been hurt severely, with a vast gash across his chest oozing with blood and the rest of his body bruised badly.

She covered her mouth with her hand in a sharp gasp, the tears threatening to spill once again.

Immediately the doctors got to work with Kankuro hurrying them in the background, but as soon as they got close to his body they were blocked by his sand. Although he wasn't conscious, Gaara had a pained expression on his face and he seemed to reject all attempts to approach him like he thought they were attacks. The doctors realized he didn't have much time left because of the extensive loss in blood and started to push their way through, but he only responded by violently shoving them away with his sand.

"We can't do anything if he is resisting, Kankuro-sama" they exclaimed with rueful expressions upon their face.

"Keep trying" he barked back at them, even attempting to penetrate his brother's defense only to meet defeat.

Kumiyo felt her body move forward without her own bidding. She pushed the tired doctors aside and they stared at her in amazement. Crouching down beside him, her hand gently inched towards his.

"Gaara it's me. Kumiyo" she murmured as softly as she could, though sounding calm she was falling apart on the inside.

His features seemed to soften slightly at the sound of her soothing voice. A small breeze swept across his face and messed with his hair.

Finally managing to take his hand in hers, she held onto it tightly.

"Gaara you have to let me help you, or you are going to die" Kumiyo spoke as her body moved towards his, her voice cracking slightly.

His brow furrowed when he felt her presence and sand quickly rose up in preparation.

"Let me in" she whispered so only he could hear.

The sand melted away and she moved in fully so that she was crouched right next to him. She took a closer look at his wound and felt her determination falter. Reaching over to tear away his robe she called to one of the dumbfounded doctors.

"I need the kit and an assistant" she ordered.

"But you're just a nurse, we should do the healing here" one of them protested

Fully annoyed she turned her head to face them.

"Well then why don't you come over here and try then? Get me the kit now or he dies!"

Reluctantly he made his way over.

However once Gaara sensed another unfamiliar presence, he looked even more defensive and made to push the doctor away.

Kumiyo reached over with her hand and stroked his face in reassurance.

"Shhh, be calm. Everything's going to be alright"

Putting on the gloves from the kit, Kumiyo took a towel to dab away some of the blood.

Gaara groaned in pain, and her expression seemed to mimic his as if she too felt his pain.

She looked to the doctor holding out a needle and thread for her to stitch it up and she shook her head.

_It's too late for that and they all know it. I'm going to have to do it._

It was the only thing left to do that could save him, albeit it was probably the riskiest, most dangerous alternative, but he was going to die if she didn't do anything.

Her mind was made up, and Kumiyo maneuvered herself until she was straddling his waist in preparation for the tricky procedure. She opened up his robes so that she could clearly see his bleeding gash. Bending down to cup his face in her hands she whispered

"This is going to be painful, but you have to bear it ok?"

Motioning for Kankuro to come over she told him to hold onto Gaara's hand.

"He is going to resist, but I need you to help me hold him down"

Kankuro merely nodded in response, grasping his brother's hand and shoulder tightly.

"You can't be serious" one of the doctors exclaimed in disbelief, figuring out her intentions.

"You aren't trained enough to do that, you'll just end up hurting him"

Kumiyo simply ignored them. Taking her free hand it hovered above the wound.

_First, create a ball of chakra. _

A strong blue aura swirled around her palm.

_Press it into the wound_.

She firmly brought her hand down upon it. His body jerked in pain and they could barely hold him down.

Her sweat dropped, and she fumbled to grab his hand.

_Connect the chakra points_.

She entwined her fingers with his and pressed their palms together, suddenly feeling a rush of chakra flow in through that point.

The procedure needed to close up a wound of this size required both their energy concentrated carefully and precisely over the whole lesion.

It took a lot of stamina to keep the flow of chakra constant within both parties, especially since one was unconscious.

As their chakra's melded together the aura changed to a warm lilac colour. Kumiyo could feel them become one for a moment as their chakra rush through her veins, it was beautiful.

Usually if two different chakra's came together in such large quantities they would reject each other, but both of them had opened up and willingly combined to form something so powerful, so pure it felt euphoric.

The wound was closing up nicely but she knew it came at a price. Kumiyo's grip on his hand tightened as the effort took a toll on her body, some of the pain from his wound transferred through his chakra into her and she twisted in agony, her eyes squeezed shut. She had never felt anything like it, it was excruciating and it stabbed at every fibre of her being. A sharp pain like no other, coursed through her veins and Kumiyo bit her lip to keep from screaming. Her knuckles turned white as she struggled to continue the process, the sweat dropped from her brow and she started to pant.

_Half done _

Kumiyo could feel her body start to give out and even Gaara looked aggrieved as his brow creased and his jaw clenched tightly in his unconscious state.

_No hold on, almost there. _

She grit her teeth and let out a forlorn whimper. Her body was now trembling uncontrollably and taking in breath was proving difficult. The flow of chakra still surged strongly but now the pain and damage was being shared between the both of them. A small trickle of blood seeped out of Kumiyo's nose but it didn't faze her and she just wiped it away with the back of her hand warily.

As if he sensed her pain, Gaara gave her hand, already clasped in his, a small squeeze which didn't go unnoticed. Looking half-heartedly at their entwined fingers, Kumiyo felt her determination swell and her glazed amber eyes filled with hope.

It was difficult to close up the remaining fraction after losing some control over her body due to the pain but she managed it and breathed a sigh of relief as she successfully sealed up the wound. Just then, as their chakra separated and returned to their respectful bodies, Kumiyo lost it and fainted tiredly over Gaara's torso, a lone tear making its way down her sweaty face onto his bare chest.

Quickly lifting her off, one doctor checked her pulse.

"She's fine, but there has been some substantial internal damage, I'm fixing it now."

"Of course there is, that's a forbidden technique because of the sacrifice needed to heal. It is a medical jounin practice that few even know about, how could she do it?" The other doctor replied.

"Who cares as long as it worked" interrupted Kankuro, checking up on his brother who now rested peacefully whilst the doctor wrapped the sealed wound up.

"Still, a nurse is a nurse. Not even the experienced doctors could do what she just did, especially keeping that kind of precision and steady flow of chakra when you are basically bearing just as much pain at the same time. I didn't see that kind of potential within her"

"Sometimes all it takes is pure will and determination, Kaori-san looked pretty resolute in her actions."

A silence descended upon the scene as they observed what was clearly being said. They knew it was going through all of their minds.

"So Gaara's got a girlfriend huh?" Kankuro muttered minutes later with a small smirk on his face.

_But I thought her name was Kumiyo. _

* * *

**I dunno why but I'm just not that pleased with this chapter, even though it kinda is my favourite. **

**Oh well. Read and review please. **

**p.s.**

**sorry bout the crappy writing and any mistakes made. **

**p.p.s. **

**I kinda redid it a little at the end, although the part I'm most displeased over is the beginning but I'm just not bothered to fix it. **


	9. The road to recovery

**Wassuupp Wasuupp??**

**Gosh it's been like an updating frenzy! **

**I really wanna slow it down to see if I can hike up more reviews, but I know there's a bunch of you guys who want updates fast. **

**I think I've been going fanfiction crazy. Seriously. I dream of scheming on how to maximize my reviews. **

**So far I've only been getting a handful of repeat reviewers (WHO I LOVE TO DEATH THANK YOU) – anyone who hasn't reviewed must learn from these kind people :D – which gets me thinking…**

**Maybe I should put in more cliffies… evil eyebrow quirk muhahahhahaahha!! **

**Discalimer: I do not own Naruto**

* * *

"How long until you think he wakes up?" 

"It could be days, weeks or even right now, I can't give you an exact time Temari-san, you'll just have to wait. He lost an extensive amount of blood and chakra, so I wouldn't think it'd be any time soon"

"He's right Temari, which means you should go rest, you've been here for hours. You're pregnant for Kami's sake, the trip here would have been damaging enough. I'll fetch you if he wakes"

"Why is everyone so worried about the baby? The baby is fine believe me I can tell, Gaara, however, isn't"

It was with his siblings' recognizable bickering which he woke to. His piercing, turquoise eyes flickering open.

"Temari?" he muttered weakly, struggling to move his arms and legs and flinching when sharp pains consequently erupted over his whole body. His jaw clenched as he bit back an anguished groan that threatened to spill from his mouth.

"Gaara! Don't get up, your body is still recovering" she gasped, gently pushing him back down onto the bed.

Ignoring the pulsating throb of pain in his head, Gaara tried to remember the events leading to his injury.

A flash of crumbling ceilings, ear-piercing shrieks and a lethal blow from a fractured boulder zoomed through his mind. His eyes fixed on Kankuro worriedly.

"Are they alive?"

His brother knew who he meant, the two elderly people he had tried to save whilst getting himself injured in the process.

"The woman is, albeit she is still quite shaken up. The man, isn't" he declared sorrowfully.

Gaara averted his gaze to the ground in remorse.

"What about the children?" he questioned silently.

"They are safe. We are still counting, but the approximate figures are four dead, a hundred fifty three injured"

Gaara cringed at the statistics.

"Now with the hospital down, it's difficult to treat them all. There aren't enough medical nins around, so we called on some help from Konoha. Sakura is already here with her team down by the village square which is our new hospital base, she brought supplies as we lost all our medicines in the earthquake"

"How long have I been out?"

"Three days" Temari butted in.

"Which is hardly enough for someone in your condition, so you should go back to sleep so you can heal faster and lead the people as their Kazekage in their time of need."

"What about the rest of the village?" he carried on, paying no attention to her concern.

"No extensive damage, the wall still stands, the hospital is the only one to have collapsed completely. From my calculations, it shouldn't be too hard to get everything up and running again, the problem is the fact that we cannot treat the people fast enough to get the village back to normal"

Gaara nodded his head slightly, absorbing the information thoughtfully.

"What is our shinobi count?"

"Normal numbers, just about fifty are badly injured, but again we called upon Konoha to send in a team in case"

"Suna is vulnerable now, if other shinobi villages hear of this it might seem a good opportunity to them. Especially with myself unable to lead or fight"

Gaara shot a look directly at Kankuro who understood what he meant.

_If the spy is still out there, Iwakagure is most likely going to hear of this. _

"Build up our defense and put scouts on the borders. Brief the Konoha team on our current _situation_ and see if they can help you sniff him out" he ordered Kankuro

"Hai" he saluted and left the room.

Now it was Temari's turn to get her word in.

"Ok look, I'm your sister. I'm pregnant and hormonal, and I did _not_ nearly get shocked into labour or rush down here just to see you aggravate your wounds. Your life is in as much danger as it was three days ago, you are lucky to even be alive, so are you going to rest or not?" she scolded, looking every bit the mother that she was.

Gaara couldn't help but smile at her through the pain.

"Thanks Temari"

Curiously, he looked down at his wound where he remembered the rock sliced through him, only to find it was cleanly bandaged and healing just fine. His expression turned confused.

"How did I survive if the other man didn't?" he questioned the doctor looking after him.

The doctor gave him a wistful look before replying.

"Kankuro-sama, sent up his Sanshouo just before the hospital collapsed and managed to shield both you and the other old man. Unfortunately, by that time he had already been crushed and you were bleeding profusely, the other doctors say you were bound to die" he paused.

"I wasn't there so—"

Temari, now suddenly interested, chose to finish it off for him.

"Kankuro was, he told me the doctors tried to help stop the bleeding but you unknowingly pushed them away with your sand. Then when this nurse tried, I believe her name is Kaori, she got through and healed you with a forbidden technique. Kankuro said it was stupid and it could have killed the both of you, but somehow it worked"

Gaara's mind reeled, suddenly remembering Kumiyo used the name Kaori at work.

_Kumiyo saved me?_

"It's a very dangerous technique, forbidden because it connects both the healer and the injured chakra together to heal the wound. Most chakras reject each other upon infusion, but yours seemed to combine willingly. I heard it was truly a sight, only been done once before, but anyone who had tried it afterwards died. The second thing is that it shares the pain and damage from the wound with the healer, so that nurse could have easily died, but amazingly with all that pain she still managed to seal your wound up."

"Where is she??" Gaara asked, not caring if they heard the urgency in his voice. Reflexively, he moved to get out of the bed but once again the pain restrained him.

"Gaara! You must rest, what if the gash opens up again? Then all that hard work would have gone to waste." Temari pushed him back down, this time with a little more force.

Succumbing to her wishes he fell back on the bed helplessly, however still awaited his answer.

"I don't know anything specific but I think she's already recovered and back at work."

"That fast?"

"Well we were short on staff as you can imagine"

Gaara lent back and closed his eyes in deep thought. As much as he needed to see Kumiyo right now, he could feel his body start to give out and knew he had to rest.

_But once I'm up and healed, I'll find you. _

Opening his eyes, he saw that Temari had dismissed the doctor.

"Oh I thought there were more pressing injuries he had to attend to, so I sent him away" she smiled warmly at him.

"Plus you have me to take care of you now"

Deciding to take her advice and get some good sleep, Gaara closed him eyes again.

"You know what else Kankuro told me?" she said with a sneaky grin on her face.

"I thought you wanted me to sleep" he groaned tiredly.

"He said this Kaori person looked pretty emotional out there when she found you, seemed like you two knew each other" she suggested, wiggling her eyebrows and ignoring his previous comment.

"What do you mean by emotional?" he questioned, now interested in what she had to say.

"Worried I guess, said she was crying and stuff, and that she looked pretty determined in saving you. Well you guys would have to be quite attached for her to sacrifice her own well-being for your sake"

_Crying?_

Gaara felt oddly pleased that she had been worried for his well being, and had to admit they had gotten strangely closer. The earthquake incident had created a strong bond of trust between them, and he could tell that during those ear-pounding, adrenaline-pumping moments she had put her life fully in his hands. That stirred up a sense of masculine pride within him knowing that she was depending on him for something, and he desperately wanted to be someone that she could depend on.

_Looks like I'm the one who needed the saving this time_

They had worked well together, somehow they could sense each others movements and thoughts so clearly it was as if they were one mind. Their combined actions were so synchronized and came so naturally it scared him.

What scared him more was their closeness and how holding her also felt natural. He remembered back to when they were trapped in his sand dome, their bodies pressed closely together. Neither of them found it awkward or embarrassing, it just felt right, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, they fit; hip to hip, his arm around her waist and her head perched on his shoulder.

Gaara wasn't one to feel embarrassed, he knew what he felt and he wasn't ashamed of it. He liked knowing that she was close to him, somehow it felt reassuring; maybe it was because he knew she was safe or maybe it was because he didn't feel lonely. He didn't care, just as long as he felt her presence.

"Hey what happened to Kumiyo? Are you seeing two _different_ girls Gaara?"

"I'm _sleeping_ now Temari"

"Wait, you didn't answer me yet!"

* * *

The door swung shut. Seconds later her clothes hit the floor as she walked barefoot, straight to her bath and switched on the hot water. Shrugging off the rest of her uniform and undergarments, throwing her nurse cap away callously Kumiyo sunk into the soothing water. 

Sighing as she felt her tired, aching muscles relax she closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

_I can't believe they're making me work when I haven't even fully recovered._

Instinctively rubbing her sore muscles, she groaned in pain as her movements caused a sharp stinging.

Trying to take the soreness away by thinking of something else, her mind wandered over to the topic she had been trying to shove out of her head for the past three days.

_He's still not awake yet_.

Kumiyo felt a distinct twang of worry cascade over her.

_Maybe I could visit today? Surely they'd let me, I saved him after all._

She sharply reprimanded herself.

_No Kumiyo, you've already interfered enough with your mission and your goal, the Tsuchikage would have your head if he knew what you've done. _

It was true she thought ruefully as she hugged her knees against her bare, soaking body. She had been ignoring their calls for a while now, not able to speak to them, lie to them. She feared what would happen if she informed them of the earthquake. Suna was terribly vulnerable right now and would surely fall if an enemy were to attack. Kumiyo had grown too fond of the village to allow that to happen, it wasn't right.

Even if she didn't know the intention of her village or what they wanted all this information for, she couldn't bring herself to betray Suna, betray Gaara.

Kumiyo hadn't even bothered to collect any more information to report back on. Not like she had time for it anyway, there was too much work to focus on, too many lives to save.

_Plus there isn't much to report on now that the hospital is in ruins, the archives are probably destroyed. _

Just then her earpiece buzzed unexpectedly, making her nearly jump out of the water. She eyed her uniform pocket undecidedly before reaching for it and putting it against her ear.

"Kumiyo here" she answered hesitantly.

"Where have you been?" an anxious voice came on the other end.

"They had run out of medical nins so they sent me on a mission for a few days. Nothing to worry about"

She wasn't chosen to be a spy for nothing.

"We thought you had been found out" the voice came, sounding relieved. "Anything to report?"

Kumiyo hesitated.

"Nothing" she replied firmly.

* * *

An hour later Kumiyo was walking nervously through Suna's quiet streets towards the Kazekage's house. It was nightfall already and a chilly gust of wind shot through the night air. She pulled her thin, blue yukata closer over her frame. 

Arriving at her destination she allowed her eyes to graze over the pure size of his manor before they rested on the intimidating front door.

Tentatively knocking with her enclosed fist, someone on the other side yelled in response

"Coming! Just wait a minute, being pregnant isn't easy"

A lively, flushed, and very pregnant woman answered the door fixing her blue eyes on Kumiyo's shivering body.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she asked warmly, Kumiyo was already taking a liking to her.

"Um, I was wondering if I could see the Kazekage for a moment" she asked timidly.

The woman eyed her suspiciously for a second before asking

"Are you Kumiyo or Kaori?"

Taken aback by her forthrightness she quickly smiled.

"I'm Kumiyo, Kaori is my mother's name I just use it for work because it sounds less personal" she prayed it sounded valid

Temari then looked slightly confused but let it go.

"You must be freezing, come right in. You're unlucky, Gaara just got back to sleep but you can still see him if you want"

"You mean he woke up?" her amber eyes lit up

"Yeah, this afternoon. I guess I should thank you for saving his life. I'm Temari by the way, his sister"

Taking off her shoes she followed the waddling woman up the stairs.

"Its no problem Temari-san, I should feel honoured saving the life of the Kazekage"

"Are you sure honour was your main motive Kumiyo-san?" Temari questioned slyly.

Kumiyo fumbled and stuttered for a moment, unsure of how to answer.

_I guess being frank, runs in the family_ she thought, before being shown the door to his room. Turning around to thank her, she saw Temari already descending back down, wanting to leave them alone.

Kumiyo opened the door slowly as if afraid of what she would find inside.

* * *

Gaara's room was dimly lit but spacious and well furnished. Her eyes were immediately drawn towards his bed where she could make out his broad frame resting peacefully. Pulling herself into the room fully, she closed the door, careful not to make a sound. Padding across the cold floor, she took in the rest of the room. 

_It smells like him; warm, sandy and masculine. _

A small flurry of the night air seeped in through the window and ran through her hair teasingly. Aside from that, all she could hear was his steady, deep inhalations which seemed to sooth and calm her.

Kneeling over his slumbering body she drank in the sight before her.

_I don't think I've ever seen anyone so at peace before_.

She brought up her hand to stroke his face gently, just soaking in the moment where she didn't have to worry about what he thought of her, where she could display her feelings freely without him having to know anything.

Her gaze fell to his lips, she felt her face move in closer so that his warm breath tickled her neck and she sighed.

_If only we weren't who we are, if we were just in another place in another time this could have actually worked out _she thought sadly.

Kumiyo leaned in and pressed her lips against his in a small kiss. His lips were warm, soft and inviting but she found the strength to pull herself away. Letting out another tormented sigh, she realized she was so completely at ease with her actions that it began to feel like second nature to her.

Opening her eyes, she saw Gaara's mouth curve upwards in a lopsided grin though she knew he was still fast asleep. She couldn't help but smile back wholeheartedly.

"Damn cute" she murmured under her breath, rewarding him with another peck on the cheek before sitting back against the chair conveniently placed next to the bed.

With her gaze still locked on his handsome features, her hand somehow found his own and once again she interlocked their fingers. Closing her eyes and resting her head on his stomach, she basked in the comforting feeling that surrounded her.

_If only we could just stay like this forever_ she thought, before joining him in a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**Woooo that's like my longest one!! Ahahahhhaaa**

**Lets just say its here to make up for tomorrow (I'm busy, but I'll try)**

**Not exactly a cliffhanger but I'm hoping it'll bring the reviews. They are definitely improving though so thanks you guys. **

**I changed my story description if any of you noticed. I think its better, I **_**hope**_** it attracts more people but ahh whatever. **

**More good stuff coming up soon just say the magic words, press 'send review' and voila!**


	10. Falling prey to fate

**Bam bam bada bam bada baamm! Bada bam bada bam bada BAM BAM!**

**Lol its just my little celebration on getting the 10****th**** chapter out. Gosh its my first fanfic and I already got it up to the big 1-0 !!!**

**I actually don't know how long the story is going to be, depends on how my brain works its stuff. But I'm sure it'll continue on for quite a bit don't worry :D**

**Ok, so I'm kinda new to the fanfic stuff, and when I first went around reading stories I didn't know most of the lingo like OC, otaku, lemons, fluff and flames (seriously, for the first timer you all sounded like crazy people). SO I thought I'd give it a shot in telling you now from this chapter on there is going to be some serious FLUFF. Lol hope that makes you happy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

* * *

Frightful shrieks and howls of horror filled the air. 

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

The sight of burning flesh, congealing blood and rotting carcasses met her innocent eyes. People desperately ran in every direction but she paid no attention to their cries of help, too distraught by the events unfolding.

Walls were caked in blood. Iwa nin ran around hunting down their prey with malicious expressions upon their murderous faces.

_No, this can't be happening._

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

It was Suna's marketplace, she pieced together, catching one shinobi monster shove his hands straight into his victim's chest and prying out their heart. She could only look on helpless, frozen in fear.

_Which side am I on?_

The lifeless body slumped to the cold ground, of no interest any longer.

_Takamura-san?_

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

She heard a recognizable scream, and turned around slowly to find Aiko being speared against the wall of a familiar restaurant she use to eat at during her breaks. The poor girl's eyes rolled around in their sockets and a stream of blood poured from her mouth like a deathly fountain, her hair hung limply from her skull which framed the haunting image and engrained it painfully in her memory.

She felt a scream build up but it never quite came, she was too scared to scream now.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

Just then the scenery changed, the battle cries were now in the background. She was in a room guarded by Iwa nin and right in front of her stood the Tsuchikage himself smiling at her warmly. Proudly. Thanking her on behalf of her village. She had done well.

Before him kneeling hopelessly on the hard floor was the Kazekage, his distinct dark red hair fell over his face in despair, shielding his expression from her.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

The Tsuchikage turned his attentions to the disheartened ruler and unsheathed a katana she had not seen when first arriving. His expression turned as cruel as his minions wreaking havoc down below and he raised the hilt manically. The Kazekage stayed completely still, awaiting his death like he had already given up hope.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

Just as he was about to strike, he halted midair and slowly, lecherously latched his possessed eyes on her.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

He beckoned. She came. He placed the cold katana in her terrified, incapable hands, urging her to do what they had all been waiting for. She deserved it.

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

Facing the man kneeling before her she shakily lifted her hilt.

_I can't do it. _

_I must do it._

_Breathe in. Breathe out. _

It was above her head now.

_Breathe in. _

She hesitated. He lifted his head in a split second, facing her fully so she could see the sadness in his eyes. They were no longer sharp and piercing. They were dull and grey. They taunted her, questioned her lifelessly. He gave one final and most heartbreaking look and she could feel the lump build up in her disloyal throat.

_I'm sorry. I deserved it. _

_Breathe out. _

"Kumiyo stop. Wake up. Shhh it's ok." a deep, even voice rang out in her consciousness.

* * *

Kumiyo's eyes flew open in a frenzy and she clung on even tighter to Gaara's bed sheets, her grip on his hand also intensifying. Her breath came out in pants and her heartbeat was racing, a lone tear found its way out of her panic-stricken eyes. 

Unsteadily locking onto his eyes, her mind registered his presence.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered, remembering the helpless look scarred on his face.

Gaara's expression clouded with concern and he continued stroking her hair reassuringly.

"It was just a dream" he calmly comforted.

Kumiyo blinked for a few moments and seemed to pull herself together, wiping away her tears hurriedly and soothing her troubled breath. However, she made no move to pull away from his embrace.

_That's right. Just a dream. Not real_

Looking at him now collected and slightly embarrassed she sniffed.

"I must look like a complete idiot now" she confessed, her cheeks flushing lightly.

He only smiled back at her, relieved that she had returned to normal.

Leaning back slightly to stretch out her sore muscles and rub the sleep out of her eyes, Kumiyo realized she had slept on Gaara's stomach and was half splayed out on his bed. Her amber eyes widened in distress.

"Oh I'm sorry, I used you like some pillow" she apologized, fumbling to straighten out the mess she made.

He just squeezed her hand in response, unable to wipe the smile off his face

"And I could have irritated your wound" she carried on, instantly moving to check on it.

Gaara watched her as she pulled back the covers to find his bare chest half wrapped in clean bandages.

"Oh good" she replied, averting her eyes hastily, obviously mortified with her brash actions.

Gaara had to resist the urge to chuckle at her early morning antics, but had to admit he liked her this way.

"It's healing up pretty fast thanks to you"

This time she really blushed.

"It was nothing. Honestly I don't know what came over me when I saved you. I guess we were just lucky" she finished, giving him the smallest of smiles.

He tugged on her hand, still clasped in his, to draw her attention. When their eyes locked he gave her a serious look, telling her that he was truly grateful.

"How much damage did it do to you?"

Panic flashed deep in her amber eyes.

"Very little, I'm fine now" she lied, shooting him a weak smile.

"The doctor said you nearly killed yourself"

Realizing he had her cornered she admitted ruefully.

"It was just… a lot of pain"

Gaara just looked at her, apprehension plastered over his somber features.

"You didn't have to do that for me. It was reckless and dangerous"

"Yes I did" she retorted resolutely, her amber eyes aflame.

A silence fell upon them as the rest went unsaid.

No longer wanting to stay on the subject for fear of having her feelings discovered, Kumiyo stood up quickly, unknowingly straining her unhealed muscles. A small wince escaped from her mouth but she stubbornly continued to stretch them out painfully.

"I can't have you working like this"

She gave him a look.

"Gaara, I'm a medical nin. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, the muscles are just sore, it'll go away after a few more days."

Kumiyo looked at him expectantly, waiting for his response, but he just stared at her silently.

"What?" she asked confusedly.

Gaara didn't want to point out to her that she had called him by his first name without the honorific; he liked how it sounded coming from her lips. What he liked even more was the fact that it came so naturally to her, she didn't even realize it.

"Nothing" he murmured.

Suddenly he felt overwhelmed with feelings of want; want to know all there was about her, want for her to continue to depend on him.

Gaara had already deduced he was attracted to her, but this propelled that attraction to a whole other level he wasn't familiar with. It was much more than merely wanting to be close to her now and that thought scared him to no end.

At that moment, Gaara felt like he had crossed a threshold, one which would lead him on an unclear path. He didn't like not knowing where he was going, but there was something about Kumiyo which overrode all rational thought from him mind, leaving him with nothing but pure want for her.

* * *

A week had passed since she spent the night at his house, and Kumiyo had continued her nightly visits as often as she could at his request, though as hard as she tried to ignore it, she too wanted to see him. 

Apart from the obligatory checking up on his wound, she would usually get drawn into one of many mindless conversations they seem to stumble upon with ease. Sometimes they were personal; about their pasts, their goals. Sometimes they were about the little, insignificant quirks in their lives, the topic was never the same. But that didn't mean that the conversation was always alive and flowing.

It was something they both took their time with like long, euphoric drags of a cigarette. Sentences were spoken in comfortable murmurs, Kumiyo curled up snugly in the chair whilst he was propped up on the bed.

The time spent had its share of laughter and reflective silences, smiles and frowns, but it was all shared at perfect ease, both of them just content to be in each other's company.

To Kumiyo it was much more intimate than normal, everyday chatter. Every time they spoke it was as if they were revealing parts of themselves to each other; slowly, contemplatively giving each other time to absorb.

However, she had gotten so distracted by work, and their talks that she hadn't being moving forward with her mission. She wasn't even thinking like a spy anymore, every piece of information that got to her was no longer seen as possible intelligence to report or opportunities to gain valuable data.

Kumiyo hadn't noticed her change of mindset until a fateful call that afternoon brought the thoughts on the operation running back to the forefront.

"What is going on over there, you haven't been reporting anything for a while now. Have you run into trouble?"

She stumbled over her words.

"It's nothing I can't handle"

"Contact us if you run into more danger"

"Of course. Sir?"

"Yes?"

"What is the Tsuchikage planning to do with this information?"

A grave silence fell over the receiver.

"You know you are not authorized to hear that level of information. It goes against the very idea of having a spy, if the enemy were to find you…" the voice on the other end sounded cold, distant, suspicious.

_But they aren't our enemies_

"Hai, gomen. That was out of line"

* * *

The rest of the day passed much too fast and uneventful for Kumiyo to take notice of it. 

She had dejectedly come to the conclusion that she should sever all contact with the Kazekage and get back to doing her job.

_Going down that path could only end badly_ she convinced herself.

She knew it was true, not only would it jeopardize her mission but it would end up hurting them, and that would undoubtedly lead to a great tension between the two countries. Kumiyo couldn't allow herself to be responsible for the suffering of innocent people just so she could have a short-lived relationship.

_You're doing the right thing_ she chanted in her head, trying to block out the aching hollowness enveloping her chest.

"Oh Kaori!" cried a weary doctor prepping for surgery.

Startled out of her thoughts, Kumiyo turned around to see said doctor walking over to her.

"Hai"

"Do you think you could go over and change the Kazekage's bandages for me? I'm busy for the rest of the night, plus it shouldn't be too hard" he instructed already walking away, leaving an unnerved Kumiyo staring after him.

"Oh and don't forget to check his vitals, thanks!"

Kumiyo slowly removed her nurse's cap, sighing deeply and shifting her eyes upwards.

_Of all the possible punishments…_

* * *

At exactly the same time on the opposite side of Suna, the Kazekage gave a similar sigh accompanied by a deep groan in irritation. 

Gaara resignedly put down the same sheet he had been re-reading for the sixth time that day and his hands decided to try and rub the tiredness from his eyes as well as ruffle up his hair. Once he had tried that he blinked a couple more times before shifting his turquoise eyes to the matter at hand.

The spy.

It was Gaara's top priority at this point, as the village was regaining its equilibrium rather quickly. The sneaky mole had been cleverly lying low for the time being, making him especially hard to track and sniff out.

Lying in front of him was Masakazu's report basically concluding that none of the jounins stood out in particular as a spy.

_Which leaves the hospital staff and my advisors_.

Since Gaara had not been able to work and keep tabs on his advisors, he thought he could try going through their individual files to see if anything from their past behaviour and actions might point out the more likely suspects. However, that too had been drawing a blank.

Of course from personal experience he could pick a few who he thought were quite against him being Kazekage, however he also knew they would never betray Suna in order to get their way.

_It doesn't matter. The most suspicious of all the possible groups would have to be the hospital staff. _

He frowned, because although that was true, it meant that it would be especially hard to effectively find the bastard now. There were far too many medical nins, hygienists, receptionists and cleaners involved with the Suna hospital, each with the same probability of being the mole.

It never once crossed his mind that Kumiyo was one of them.

Leaning back in the chair and swearing profusely, Gaara decided to calm down by grabbing some food from his kitchen downstairs.

On any other night, Temari would have eagerly made him his dinner but he had finally convinced her to go home to her family that morning, she was almost due to give birth and he knew how important it was for her to be with her husband and children when that happened.

Making his way down the sandy steps, not even bothering to be careful with his wound now that it had practically fully healed, he caught a small knocking on his door.

_Must be Osumo-san_ he thought absentmindedly.

Wandering over to the front door, not bothering to cover the rest of his chest with the robe, he opened it forcefully.

"Konbanwa Osu-" he paused as piercing turquoise met with a familiar warm amber.

"Kumiyo" he couldn't help but grin.

_Just what I needed_ **(a/n: I could just leave you here, and in any normal occasion I would. But since it's the 10th chapter I'll be nice :D) **

* * *

Kumiyo hadn't expected him to be the one answering the door, so when he gave her that boyish grin all she could do was smile right back. 

"Gaara, you shouldn't be walking around this soon. Where's Temari-san?"

"I sent her home to be with her family, and I'm fine, I've been walking around like this for a few days now"

She eyed him unbelievingly, suddenly averting her eyes when she caught sight of his bare chest. A slight flush tainted her cheeks and his mood lightened instantly.

"Um. Osumo-san sent me here tonight to take care of your bandages since he's preoccupied" she mumbled following him into the house.

"That's good. I was hoping you'd drop by" he said over his shoulder as he continued walking toward the main room, suddenly forgetting about food.

"Have you tried stretching a little, or is it still too sore?" Kumiyo questioned, putting on her nurse voice.

_This has to stay professional_.

Gaara sat down on the sofa and pulled his legs up whilst propping his back up with a pillow, making room for Kumiyo to sit on the edge and treat the sealed gash.

"Its sore but I can stretch pretty well" he replied getting comfortable.

Kumiyo got out her kit and plopped down next to his hips. Removing some of her equipment, she could feel his eyes watching her every movement unabashed.

"What about your bruises?" she asked, attempting to keep the conversation on safe grounds.

"Gone" he answered unflinching, never taking his eyes off her.

All set and prepped, Kumiyo's muscles stiffened at the realization of what she had to do. Looking back into his intense gaze, she didn't think she could manage saying another word.

So instead she went right ahead.

Tentatively moving her hands over his steady shoulders she carefully slipped the robe off. Complying with her actions, Gaara helped her shift it so that the bandage was in plain sight.

Breathing in, she looked at it nervously. Tension filled the air, and all Kumiyo could hear was the _thump thump_ of her pounding heart.

Reaching out to remove the old bandages, her small fingers brushed over his skin and they tingled all over. Shakily carrying on, she slowly started unwrapping it. Every so often her fingertips would accidentally skim his smooth chest, and she was sure she looked like a right idiot.

The heat was rushing to her face, but she carried on with her movements, while he stayed calm and still, just observing her.

Once she finished unwinding it, Kumiyo dumped it on the floor and undid a roll of clean gauze, just glancing up at him briefly but immediately regretting it.

His dark crimson locks had fallen slightly over his face, it was messy but it gave him a rugged edge that she found overpowering. Quick to break the gaze, her eyes trailed down to his torso, taking in the sight of his wound.

There now remained a large scar over his chest and around it small blotches of pink raw skin which was still healing. Strangely, she didn't find it ugly or gruesome.

Unable to control herself, her fingers reached out once again to softly trace the scar. She then placed her palm right over it, as if believing it would make everything better.

Silently, she felt his hand encircle her, finally rested on the small of her back.

Reflexively, she pulled her palm away but he was too fast and caught it, gently guiding it back over his warm chest.

Kumiyo's eyes darted up to meet his, slightly scared. Her breath came out ragged and the only thing keeping her sane was the steady beat of his heart under her hand.

What she found in his pools of turquoise took her breath away. They were darkened and heavily hazed with desire, however it wasn't animalistic and powerful like she had thought. There was a touch of sincerity held within them as if he were asking her permission to continue, and when she nodded she saw the pair glaze over in pure want. Want for her which left her feeling exposed, bare. But she didn't care anymore as his lips glided over hers in a mind-blowing kiss.

* * *

**Hehe, I thought it would be nice to have their first real kiss in this one, that's why it's so long. **

**I'm sorry for the wait; it's a combination of being busy and having trouble writing. yesterday it was all ready but my stories page was screwed up**

**I'll try to get in another chapter tomorrow, but after that I'm going on vacation for a week without the computer. **

**:D sorry. I probably won't be able to get you anything until the 20****th****. But don't forget about me!!**

**Read and review to your hearts content nudge nudge**


	11. A night at the hospital

**Snakes-n-Heels I can't believe you don't like fluff (well on a regular basis as deduced from your comment)!!**

**Aww c'mon you must have known it was coming in this story, bound to happen. **

**And I'm sorry, but this chapter is chock full of it. But you should hang tight because some major angst is making a come back after this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

**p.s.**

**Guilt has eaten its fill of me. I am sooooo sorry I didn't get this up on the 20****th**

**Plus you know with the release of Harry Potter (OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER THE ENDING WAS SO SWEET!!!! KYAAAA) and my birthday and everything I just didn't have much time. But I'm seriously hoping the saying 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' really applies this time :D**

* * *

Gaara didn't know what had come over him. All it took was one glance at her face framed beautifully behind those chestnut tendrils and he lost it.

Finally giving in to the tension and urges which had built up for weeks between them, he kissed her. Every single emotion felt and shared between them exploded in that breathtaking connection of their longing lips.

Though he was hardly experienced, his movements and actions suggested otherwise, everything came naturally to him as he followed his instincts.

Gaara pulled her closer to him with the hand he had on her back to deepen the kiss, while her palm on his chest snaked its way unknowingly to the back of his neck. The medical kit and clean bandage fell off her lap unnoticed and completely forgotten now.

Despite her initial reluctance, Gaara felt her body relax and open up to his, allowing herself to fall into the passionate kiss.

She tasted sweet like honey and he couldn't get enough of it. Though the pace was slow, smooth and luxuriant he had never felt so alive. They were so close now that her soft locks fell over his face, tickling his cheeks playfully.

Fully absorbed in the kiss, Kumiyo shifted slightly, eliciting a sharp groan in pain from Gaara. Breaking away hurriedly, she realized she had lent right onto his healing gash.

"Oh Kami I'm sorry" she exclaimed, instantly fumbling over the wound which was still perfectly fine.

"Kumiyo I'm fine" Gaara breathed in slight disappointment, slowly lifting his closed lids to look deeply in her trembling amber eyes. She was still reeling from their kiss.

Clasping his hands over her small, delicate fingers in an act to calm her nerves only served to make her blush even harder out of embarrassment, and she averted her eyes, unable to stand his intense gaze.

* * *

_I can't believe I just did that_

Kumiyo found herself in a dazed state, unable to control her frazzled mind. All she could think about was the feel of his strong, commanding lips against hers, and the way the kiss seemed to penetrate every fiber of her being. It filled her with emotions of an incredible intensity and after they broke away it left her aching.

She was only acutely aware of her reddened cheeks and lips, as she tried with all her might to avoid his gaze for fear of losing all control once more.

"I-I think should finish wrapping your wound" she mumbled warily, moving slightly out of his hold to pick up the fallen bandage, blushing harder when remembering how it got there.

Gaara obediently allowed her to proceed without saying a word, filling the air with a familiar tension as he just watched her shaky movements.

Inside she screamed for him to say something. Kumiyo needed to know what he was thinking or at least have an idea of what their kiss meant. At the rate they were going it just looked like nothing happened, like it was nothing out of the ordinary, like he did this with everyone.

"Kumiyo" he murmured under his breath, raising the baby hairs on the back of her neck. Her eyes flickered over to his, instantly reassured upon glimpsing his turquoise orbs. They looked at her with a deep warmness however they were still clouded over with that overpowering desire which made her mouth run dry.

Closing his eyes in an attempt to block it out, he spoke in all seriousness with a husky tone she had not heard before.

"I'm not really used to expressing myself with words" he admitted, now looking at her with total sincerity.

Kumiyo offered him a weak smile, not really needing him to say anymore as she could already see everything in those piercing eyes.

"But I just needed to say that I don't want this to end" he spoke slowly, not once looking away from her.

Understanding what he meant Kumiyo's eyes widened and she felt a tingling sensation run up her spine making her shiver against him. She nodded without a second thought and he gave her that small smile which made her pulse quicken.

Finishing up with the bandage in a dream-like state, she reluctantly moved to stand.

"It's getting late, I should go"

She caught his eyes glancing out the window before they turned to look at her, concern flickering evidently.

"I'll be fine" she reassured, resuming her walk to the front door.

"I'll walk you home then" he countered stubbornly, shrugging his robe back on.

"You should rest" she sighed tiredly. "Don't worry I can take care of myself" opening the door and turning to face him.

Kumiyo could tell he was about to bring up the incident with the two thieves on the night they met, but he decided against it.

Smiling at his forlorn expression she stood up on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on his lips but he was too quick for her and wrapped his arms around her waist to deepen it. She felt something tugging at her heart gently as he let go of her.

"Goodnight" she mumbled against his lips distractedly behind her half-lidded amber eyes as she summoned up the strength to walk away into the clear night.

* * *

The following few days barely allowed them to interact with each other, so it mostly consisted of faraway glances held for seconds too long and unsaid words passing through their purposeful gazes. 

Work was hiking Kumiyo's stress levels up quite a few notches as she toiled until late at night to finish the rounds at the temporary hospital in the village square.

Hunched over Takamura's health report in the dimly lit room, she finally gave up trying to read it and tossed it on her desk. Suppressing a yawn, she stood up to stretch out her tired, half healed muscles. Heading towards the door whilst mussing up her hair and tiredly closing her eyes, she made her way to the makeshift kitchen to brew up some tea.

"…making me do all this… not even asking about my own health… job is going to be the death of me" she vented, adding a wary sigh for effect.

Kumiyo bent over the small cabinet to rest her head on the wall. Picking up a small rustling behind her, she assumed it was her boss, the head nurse.

"Hai, Hai Hanami-senpai, I was just taking a small break, I'll get you those patient reports soon" she spoke, not bothering to move from her questionable position.

She awaited her response only to be met with silence.

"You are working far too hard" came a husky whisper into her ear, tickling her neck.

Before she could jerk in surprise, a pair of strong arms made their way around her waist as if in conformation of who it was. She smiled to herself.

"Gaara" she addressed, wanting to turn around to face him properly but his dominating grasp kept her in place.

Kumiyo huffed stubbornly as he grinned against her neck. Giving into him she leant her head back onto his shoulder with closed lids.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you" he replied gruffly, planting a small kiss on her cheek in greeting.

She turned her head to meet his lips in a painfully slow kiss.

"Sorry I didn't come earlier" he whispered against her swollen lips, lifting his heavy lids to show earnestness in those dark turquoise pools.

Kumiyo was far too distracted from the effects of his kiss to open her own eyes, content just to bask in the moment, an action Gaara found wholly tempting.

_I could get used to this_ she thought wholeheartedly, not stopping to think of what that truly meant.

When she finally did find the sense to look up at him, she found him staring intently at her, seemingly deep in thought.

But just as he was about to speak, they both heard a shuffling of sheets behind them. With the reflexes of a true shinobi Gaara whipped around silently, poised for action.

"Kaori, darling is that you there?" an old, weathered voice croaked through the darkness.

"Takamura-san you scared me" Kumiyo breathed a sigh of relief, feeling Gaara's stance relax, still not letting his protective grasp around her waver. She instinctively moved towards the hospital bed the weakened woman lay in.

"Is something the matter?" she questioned, checking up on her patient.

"Oh Kazekage-sama I didn't know that was you. What a surprise" Takamura exclaimed genuinely, with an excitement which belied her years as he moved in closer. Instantly, her elder eyes darted suspiciously between the both of them and only a moment later did realization dawn upon her.

Kumiyo spared a worried look at Gaara, who seemed to be returning the woman's curious gaze steadily; unafraid and calm.

Not waiting for a reply, Takamura marched right on.

"You aren't dressed in the Kazekage uniform, that's why I didn't recognize you at first. What are you doing here so late at night?" she asked coyly, glancing briefly at Kumiyo who shied away from her inquiring gaze to look at her pillar of stability.

Indeed he wasn't wearing his usual outfit, instead he was clad in a simple, casual black robe, he could have been mistaken for a normal person on the street.

_Tonight he's just plain Gaara_

Kumiyo was also careful to note that his crimson locks were especially tousled giving him a more laid-back, carefree look. She liked him this way she thought, smiling inwardly, almost forgetting they were in the presence of another person.

Once again Gaara chose not to reply verbally, however his hand had subtly found its way to the small of her back with ease, which Takamura took as her answer.

An animated grin fell over her face as she beamed up at the two of them in a motherly fashion.

"So you two really were… and this means… Oh Kami-sama this is wonderful news."

Kumiyo buried her beet-root cheeks in the warmth of his shoulder, and although she couldn't see his face, she knew his lips would be curved up ever so slightly in that small smile of his.

"How much did you see?" came her voice, muffled by his shoulder.

"I saw enough" Takamura replied, winking suggestively, resulting in an even darker shade of red flushing her face.

"When did this start and why wasn't I told?" the lively woman directed teasingly at Kumiyo.

"Well, only recently… and you're the only one who knows. Except for maybe Temari-san" she replied, drawing the strength from Gaara to turn back around and face her.

"And we would like to keep it that way" Gaara added as Kumiyo gave an approving nod.

"I understand completely, your secret is safe with me" she reassured before carrying on with her excited blabber.

"Ooh I still can't believe it. The Kazekage and my beautiful Kaori! Perfect. Why didn't I think of it before? I hope we'll get to see little ones running around soon" she hinted, wiggling her brows.

As if her body couldn't fathom the energy to intensify the redness in her cheeks, it chose to break a sweat instead.

"Oh I think it's too early to be thinking about things like that" she explained, letting loose a nervous laugh

But as her eyes locked with his familiar, piercing gaze, it all seemed possible. In that miniscule moment shared between them, she felt the tiniest hope at that chance, she felt ready to consider embarking on whatever path it was that would lead her to that promising future. And at this point the fear and surprise that she was even thinking such thoughts were paramount.

Her breath caught and she clung onto his arm in giddiness.

"Nonsense child, you aren't getting any younger you know" she shot her an incredulous look.

Gaara sensed her immediate unease and shifted his eyes towards the stubborn woman, he too was taken aback by her forwardness.

"It's late. I think you should be resting"

Kumiyo took this opportunity to use her authority, but not before shooting him a grateful look.

"Exactly. You still haven't fully recovered, so I think that's enough excitement for one night" she ordered firmly, pulling the covers up comfortably around her.

* * *

It took a while to get her settled but they eventually made their escape, Kumiyo breathed a weary sigh. 

Hobbling tiredly over to an empty hospital bed in a secluded room reserved for special patients, she sat down to rest her aching muscles.

_I can't believe I was actually thinking about having his children. I don't even know how I feel about him. Things just don't make sense anymore_

But looking up at his concerned gaze, his fingers gently pushing back loose strands of chestnut hair, her heart leapt into her throat and she pushed all those issues to the back of her mind.

"I'm sorry you had to be there. Takamura-san doesn't usually behave that way" she apologized shakily.

Still standing in front of her, Gaara bent down to give her a comforting peck on her forehead.

"Don't let what she said trouble you" he murmured, peering into her amber eyes for any sign of understanding, obviously referring to the babies comment.

Kumiyo closed her eyes upon feeling that familiar tug on her heart

* * *

In that instant, time seemed to stand still. The clouds cleared away, and stream of moonlight shone down upon her face through a tear in the tent, illuminating it in almost an angelic glow. Gaara soaked it up and engrained it in his memory, because it was in that vital moment that he knew. 

And as she opened her eyes once the moment passed, to reveal those innocent, child-like amber gems he knew he was helpless to stop it.

Gaara couldn't bring himself to tell her now, it would have to wait until they were both ready and unafraid. But he wouldn't worry.

_After all I have all the time in the world_.

No more than a day later, he will come to realize, that was a naïve thought.

**(a/n: I thought this would make a good cliffie. But it wasn't what I planned. :D no, I planned something worse. So if you didn't hate me for taking so long to post this, you will.) **

* * *

Kumiyo could feel it the moment she woke up. A bugging, nagging feeling.

From the looks of the dim light coming through the tear in the tent, she deduced it was dawn. Then a small, silly grin crept up on her face as she remembered how they stargazed through that tear, late into the night.

Instinctively she reached for him but was only met with a lingering warmth on the sheet of the hospital bed. Disappointedly, she sat up and looked around for him, her eyes falling to the floor where he had written a message in sand.

'I'll come find you after my meeting. I need to tell you something'

She smiled slightly, hugging her knees to her body for heat in the cold morning air.

_I can't believe we slept in the hospital bed_ she laughed to herself recalling what a sight they must have been. Her head nudged in the crook of his neck and his arms wrapped around her waist amidst a flurry of gauze, IV's and antiseptic swabs.

Snapping out her daydream, Kumiyo clambered out of the bed and moved to stand but her toes retracted reflexively as if bitten, when they came into contact with the icy, hard stone floor.

**(a/n: I'm imagining the weather to resemble Dubai deserts, hot in the afternoon, freezing at night and in the morning)**

As if the coldness were a physical sign, the slow nagging returned to the back of her conscience.

It followed her home, distracting her, numbing her, until she closed that door to be met with an ominous beeping.

And she knew, as soon as her fingers unsteadily grazed the metal and as she tensely brought it up to meet her ear.

"Did you _really_ think we wouldn't find out??" roared an impatient voice over the receiver angrily.

* * *

**Gosh I hope that wasn't too abrupt. **

**I just wanted to say I truly am sorry for taking ages, this chapter was harder to write than any other. **

**I hope you guys haven't forgotten about meee.**

**Anyways, the next one will definitely not take as long, but I don't think it will be any easier to write since I still haven't exactly figured it out. Wish me luck by reviewing ;)**

**p.s.**

**I thought it might be hinted a bit in the hospital scene, but no they didn't 'do it'. Just the conventional 'innocent sleeping' scene.**


	12. The hardest thing she ever had to do

**LadySakuraForest I love the name author-san. I swear I'm going to refer to myself as that from now until the end of time. **

**Lol holy cow, the vocab we come up with nowadays. I read a fic about a month ago and it was just genius, obviously just saying 'flashback' wasn't good enough for the author and he/she had to narutize it, so it turned into:**

**FLASHBACK NO JUTSU!! Lololololololololol. I know I'm crazy, laughing at the lamest things. **

**I know I said this chapter would be angsty, but I guess I stand corrected. It's a whole lot more fluffier, but sort of fluffy angst. Gah just read. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

* * *

_No. This can't be happening._

Kumiyo closed her eyes tight shut, desperately hoping it was just one of those insane nightmares she had been having recently. However, the gust of cold morning air biting at her shivering body and the harsh voice of her commanding officer belied that wishful façade.

She gripped a nearby table for support, and her knuckles turned white as she fought for breath.

"W-What?" she stumbled, trying as best she could to deal with the rush of blood to her head.

"Don't play coy with me. You _know_ what I'm talking about. The earthquake! Did you not think it was relevant information to report back? IS THAT NOT YOUR _JOB??_" her superior roared into the receiver.

Kumiyo closed her eyes, despair clutching imminently at her throat.

"Besides that, you haven't even given us a _sliver_ of useful information. What is going on over there?? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you've changed sides"

"No" she cried weakly, knowing that it wouldn't alter their suspicions.

"And it is because of your reckless behaviour that we are pulling you out of there. You are not longer fit to carry on as a spy for Iwakagure. Extraction time: midnight. Failure to comply _will_ result in capture and possible – if not _probable_ - assassination" with that the line went dead.

Kumiyo couldn't bring herself to remove the earpiece, her eyes transfixed on no particular point. The silence was suffocating, it taunted her relentlessly. Finally, her legs gave way and she fell to the floor in a crumpled mess.

_How could I have let this happen? I knew the consequences, so why did I not stop??_

The questions bounced back and forth, not wanting to find to their answers because she knew it would only bring more pain. Involuntarily, she began to shake, but she didn't seem to feel it through the numbness. Her heart and mind were split between her duty to her country and her newfound attachment to this one.

Tears of frustration and pain now flowed freely down her cheeks as she dealt with the finality of the situation.

_It's over, and it's all my fault. _

Kumiyo buried her head in her hands dejectedly, hurtful sobs wracking her helpless form.

On some level, she could deal with whatever punishment lay in store for her, she didn't care if they thought she betrayed her own country because losing him was far worse.

_What will he think of me when he finds out?_

Kumiyo choked through the tears, the thought of his reaction was unbearable. Muffling her whimpers as best she could, she let all her emotions out.

However a soft knock soon interrupted her grieving.

"Kumiyo, it's me"

She looked up at the door in a panic, hurriedly wiping her tears away.

_Gaara? I can't let him see me like this_

"G-Gaara, I'm kind of busy right now. Can we talk later?" she strained, her quivering voice cracking whilst she weakly pushed herself on her trembling legs.

There was a pause at the door, and the silence engulfed her once again, but she knew he hadn't left.

Her watery eyes flew upwards in a silent prayer.

_Please just go. It would be easier that way. _

It was hard enough as it was to hold herself back from running into his steady, dependable arms.

"Kumiyo what's wrong? Let me in" he spoke, concern painted clearly in his voice.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Gaara wasted no time taking matters into his own hands. Sand started seeping in through the cracks under the door, making their way to the rusty lock separating them.

"No, please" she pleaded, knowing she couldn't turn back once that door opened and he caught sight of her tear-stained cheeks.

Too late. He swung open the door and his piercing, turquoise eyes quickly fell upon her, the confusion within them quickly turning to worry. Noticing the tremble in her legs, he was by her side in five swift strides.

Enveloped in his warm embrace, Kumiyo let him support her while she buried her fearful face in his shoulder.

"Tell me what happened" he ordered firmly, his hold on her tightening protectively.

Gaara pulled back to look down upon her, frowning slightly and wiping her tears away with his rough, calloused thumb. Knowing he was awaiting her answer, she couldn't bear to look into his eyes. All the training in the world couldn't help her hide the truth from him.

"It's nothing. Really. D-Don't worry" she forced out with great difficulty, trying to overcome the lump lodged in her throat.

"This is not nothing" Gaara persisted, attempting to lock eyes with her, but she stubbornly focused on a point behind him.

She gulped, knowing full well that he wouldn't believe any pathetic lie that came out of her mouth.

"Kumiyo. Look at me" he murmured softly.

Finally, her amber eyes shifted to gaze into his own, a desperate, despondent look in them.

"Gaara, please. Don't make me lie. I can't tell you" she begged him.

He looked at her somewhat shocked, his eyes searching her own for any vestige of truth. Stubborn as he was, Kumiyo knew he would persist, however the protest never came.

"Alright then" her glazed eyes widened.

"I trust you. If you can't tell me right now, I'll understand"

Kumiyo used up every ounce of remaining strength to hold back her tears and offered him a forced smile.

It was the last thing she wanted to hear.

_If you know what's best you should never have trusted me_.

A bitter note resounded inside of her as she realized she could never regain that trust.

_Not like I deserve it_. _I've been selfish enough_.

That's right. Selfishly pursuing this stupid dream, selfishly believing everything would somehow work out, selfishly thinking that she wouldn't be hurting anyone other than herself.

_And if you know what's best for the both of you, Kumiyo, you'll push him away right now. The closer the both of you get, the more you both will hurt. _

But she just couldn't do it. Staring up helplessly into those sharp, turquoise eyes, Kumiyo knew she didn't have the strength to push him away. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, trying to savour every touch and every scent before the time came for her to give him up.

She closed her eyes and prayed with all her heart

_Please don't hate me_.

* * *

For the first time in Gaara's life he felt completely and utterly powerless. Needless to say it was thoroughly frustrating for a man fully capable of great power. 

He thought if he could put an end to an enemy's life, why was it he couldn't put an end to Kumiyo's suffering?

All he seemed to be doing was holding her close and stroking her back as if thinking it would take her pain away. The pain that seemed to eat at her relentlessly, he could see it in her despondent eyes no matter how hard she tried to smile for him.

So when she refused to tell him what was wrong, he let it go, not wanting to have her go through such emotions again, believing she would reveal it when the time was right.

"You should get back to work, you've been gone too long" she sniffed, not yet ready to let go. She had calmed down now, but refused to budge, childishly thinking he would somehow disappear from her arms if her tight embrace weakened in the slightest.

Gaara kissed her cheek in reassurance.

"Work can wait"

Kumiyo shook her head in defiance, bravely trying as hard as she could to do the right thing.

"No it can't. I-I need some time…alone. To think things through"

He looked into her eyes for the longest time, probing them in uncertainty. Somewhere deep inside him, he could sense that something was going to happen, something was going to change, and he wasn't sure whether he liked it.

Gaara nodded hesitantly, and allowed her to move away. But before he left, he had to let her know, if indeed something were to happen, he wanted her to know in case he didn't have another chance.

"Kumiyo" he murmured, not letting her slip away any further. Now it was her turn to look up at him questioningly.

His resolve faltered as their eyes connected, and he couldn't fathom the strength to tell her, the words wouldn't properly convey exactly what he was feeling. So he did what came naturally to him.

His fingers slid up to hold the back of her neck, and he marveled at the feeling of the softest skin in the world, before pulling her into a meaningful kiss.

It was hardly like all the other kisses; deep, passionate, needy. This was the sweetest most gentle, tender, delicate connection of their lips either of them had and would ever experience. Because into it, Gaara poured his heart, soul and every single emotion she made him feel.

_I love you_.

* * *

Kumiyo felt the tears start to well up at the back of her eyes once again, as she realized what he was trying to tell her. 

Choking on the lump in her throat, she couldn't stop them from falling.

_Why did you have to make everything so hard?_

Nevertheless, for the last time she succumbed to her feelings once again, and finally told him some truth.

"I love you too" she mouthed, unable to bring about her voice. Her hands held either side of his face while she memorized every feature in a silent, bittersweet goodbye.

And then he left.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered to the empty hallway.

* * *

**Aaand that's a wrap for this chapter. **

**Originally I planned to include more in this upload but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. **

**I know its short, but I have been busy. **

**And next time, I think there will be a little more angst as Kumiyo finally leaves the hidden village of the sand -tear-. **

**But fear not, that is not the end. Until next time**

**Reviewing is much appreciated. **


	13. Her moment of selflessness

**I'm sorry. **

**School. Nuff said**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

* * *

If there ever was a time in Gaara's life where he felt the slightest uncertainty and instinctual nagging plaguing his mind, this was it.

Although it was a beautiful, clear, sunny day in the Suna village, with plenty of the young genin running about on the streets flinging harmless kunai around with jilted aim. It all seemed to pass by the normally contemplative Kazekage in a blur, barely registered by his troubled mentality. It was as if he were walking down an isolated art gallery, everything around him were merely paintings in the background.

_Did I do the right thing?_

Gaara asked himself, as a vivid image of Kumiyo's tear-stained face, devoid of any happiness seared through his mind. Of course he knew it was far from right to leave her there, wallowing in a pool of her own pain, but that expression of hers when she pleaded with him was stuck in his mind. That look of utter helplessness and pure sorrow, as if her life depended on him walking out that door, and for that moment he thought by giving her the space she so wanted, he was doing the right thing.

Until he crossed the threshold and a sharp, haunting feeling overcame his senses, like he was completely walking out of something much bigger than just her apartment. He was leaving the very dimension of their relationship, the safe bubble of her intimacy.

_No. I'm missing something. Something important._

Finally, he halted. His shoulders tensed in worry, but no one seemed to be paying attention to his troubled predicament.

_I shouldn't have left_.

Gaara turned around and started back toward the apartment hastily. Once again fate sensed its time to intervene, and as cruelly as it brought them together, it was going to tear them apart.

"Kazekage-sama! Kazekage-sama!!" a voice rang out desperately.

However, Gaara's mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of reaching Kumiyo, that he hadn't heard the call until his secretary tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kazekage-sama, where have you been?? After the morning meeting you just disappeared! Hokage-sama has arrived a day early and is in your office right now demanding to see you" she huffed, panting hard.

Sparing her an anxious glance, he answered slightly irritated.

"Tell her the meeting was scheduled for tomorrow and will only be tomorrow. I'm busy" defiantly he side-stepped her and continued down the path.

"Kazekage-sama? But it's urgent, she mentioned something about a war" she drifted off, thoroughly confused with her superior's unprofessional behaviour.

As much as he wanted to ignore her words, a part of him held back, and his impatient feet slowed to a stop. His eyes closed in a weary sigh, knowing full well that he was allowing his feelings to override his better judgment and he was being far too irresponsible. He was a Kazekage first and foremost, and at the top of his priorities at the moment was to protect Suna from any and all possible threats, this meeting was crucial.

Casting a final longing look down the path way he was initially headed, he prayed with his very soul.

_Wait for me_.

* * *

Kumiyo felt numb. 

She had finally been able to stop her incessant tears from falling, but then fell into a state of complete inertness as a result. It was stifling.

She couldn't comprehend her own actions, it was like she was thoughtlessly watching herself from a distance; her movements so still, so mechanical. She had lost all sense of smell, hearing and touch. Her hands felt cold and lifeless and everything had just lost its meaning.

At times she wanted to cry out just to break her trance, but then she thought

_What is the point?_

So she just continued packing; packing away her imprints on this country, packing away her very existence in a bag to be brought back to a place which seemed so foreign to her now.

Closing her eyes to try and remember what her home looked like, she could only comprehend vague, blurred images which then merged together to form the apartment she was currently residing in. The now, empty shell of a home, of which the very walls seemed to condemn her. She was no longer accepted into either society, she no longer belonged.

When her eyes finally found the strength to bravely look out upon the world which had abandoned her, they registered the immediate darkness, and she knew then - as the omnipresent, ominous clock within her thrashed at eleven - that it was time to leave.

Stiffly, she stood up and walked out. Not having the heart to look back.

* * *

By the time Gaara was able to wrench himself out of the Hokage's iron grip, it was already late into the night. 

Fatigue threw its desperate hands over him, but his worry seemed to override its effects. Eager to see Kumiyo, he swiftly said his good-byes and rushed out the door, completely ignoring Tsunade-sama's concerned question over his well-being.

Navigating his way through the deserted streets, he was unable to keep his focus from drifting to all the possible scenarios racing through his mind. However nothing his consciousness could churn out would ever be able to compare with, or even comprehend, the brute reality of the truth.

A cold gust of wind, bit at his porcelain face harshly, as if to warn him of the nightmarish consequences. Nonetheless, he strode forward, paying no heed to its valuable admonition.

Upon sighting the building that housed her, his pace quickened and he tore down the numerous corridors until he found that one door.

The door that should have been closed, but was instead swinging limply on its hinges. Gaara stiffened visibly, and cautiously pushed the door open to look inside.

"Kumiyo?" he called out urgently, straining his ears for a reply.

His impatient turquoise eyes, registered the darkness in the room, and somehow already knew that she wasn't home. Unable to accept that fact, he carefully scanned the room for any signs of life, but the room was cleaned out; bare, empty, barren.

The table-tops were already collecting dust, it was as if she never lived here. If it weren't for the lingering scent of honey and dew, hanging in the stagnant stream of air, Gaara would have thought he arrived at the wrong door. Right now he _wished_ he had gotten a hold of the wrong door, that way the frantic feeling of not knowing where Kumiyo was would dissipate.

The moonlight that so happily embraced their souls that night at the hospital, now haunted every crack and every corner of the apartment, morphing that memory into a mere distant dream.

_Where is she?_

Gaara groped for the answers blindly in the gloom. His mind had now reached a state of absolute distress, as he searched the entirety of the house, unable to accept that she had disappeared. Until, his eyes met with a glint of metal lying precariously on the floor, forgotten. Moving to pick it up, the feel of its bitter surface clashed with the warmth of his hand.

_An earpiece?_ _What is she doing with an earpiece?_

Frustrated and confused his mind almost burst with unanswered questions. Almost violently twisting it around for any clues, until his thumb felt a few grooves on the surface of the metal. Gaara squinted his eyes in the dimly lit room to try and make out the symbol on the earpiece.

_Two rocks_.

The world went silent for a minute. In that minute, he lost all feeling; all sense of smell and sound, as that symbol finally registered in his head with a resounding _click_.

_Iwakagure_. _It was her._

And everything came crashing down around him.

* * *

Fear was the puppet master which propelled Kumiyo forward, each step by agonizing step. 

Fear pushed all her needs, wants and emotions to that little forgotten room in the back of her mind, and therefore it had taken all rational judgment from her.

No humane expression plagued her beautiful face, no train of thought pushed through her mind.

This was the state she was forever condemned to. Instead of the tortuous pain and sadness that would have eaten away at her, she cowardly chose the path devoid of any emotion.

She was now, quite a distance away from the city walls and never once did she look back. Her eyes were glued to a non-existent spot somewhere into the distance, vaguely recognizing the direction she was meant to be headed.

It was a cloudy night and the smell of oncoming rain draped itself on the heavy air like an ominous pair of curtains just waiting for the real show to begin.

Splat.

The first drop of rain hit her squarely on her head, breaking her out of her trance. Kumiyo's eyes shifted skywards and she stilled.

Every muscle and fibre of her being stiffened involuntarily as she sensed the presence of another. It was an otherworldly feeling and nearly impossible even as a highly skilled shinobi, but it was unquestionable to her.

"No" she breathed, her exhalation taking with it the rest of the warmth from her body uncaringly.

Droplet upon droplet pelted the sand now, and started soaking its way through her thin robes.

But she couldn't feel a thing, everything was suspended for that period of time, as fear firmly gripped her heart.

For an eternity, she just stood there, unable to move, and every second hammered at her because she could feel all the anger and tension emanating from his form build up.

"Will you look at me?" he demanded, though he spoke it so quietly it could have been mistaken for timidity. Kumiyo knew full well though, the tiny threads of disgust had woven its way through his voice which was so strained and so forced it further slashed away at her crumpled soul.

She had prayed that he would scream at her, show his anger more violently and openly, for that she could understand. Gaara, however, did not belie his anger, it was kept inside quietly. And that was the worst kind of hate.

Mechanically, she turned her head around, despite her fear, despite her sadness, she knew this had to happen.

The rain now poured down mercilessly, pelting away at her last grains of integrity.

He stood rigidly, about twenty yards away, his figure barely outlined in the gloom of the rain but she could see his firmly clenched fists tighten as she faced him on. His blood red hair smeared carelessly onto his face by the rain, highlighted his tense jaw line and the rough, sharp, jagged contours of his face seemed to pierce out at her.

A flash of lightning punctured the sky and revealed his true expression. Just that one moment in which the world was cruelly lit, condemned her.

To an ordinary person who had not previously known Gaara, they would never have been able to tell of the raging emotions within him. His face was blank. He wore the mask of all masks, the one to hide away the telltale signs of feeling, so that maybe one day it would all go away. That cut her, but it left her sane and tortured enough to look even further.

Kumiyo's eyes searched for his in that one split second, but as soon as they connected she wished she had never looked.

Pain. Pure, raw, unadulterated pain and hurt lived there, as if she had caused him the worst possible fate. What broke her, was the hate, the anger and ultimately the coldness at which he looked at her. So finally, she cracked, and a single tear found its way down her cheek and hit the sand alongside the rain which hated her so.

Kumiyo couldn't bring herself to say anything in her defense, and she wouldn't let herself back away from his corrosive glare.

_I owe that much to him_.

As much as it broke her heart to see those turquoise eyes harden every second her own pitiful chestnut ones lingered on them, she had to let him do this.

_I have to let you go_.

_In my selfishness, I made you love me. So in my selflessness, I'll let you hate me. _

For the seconds, minutes, hours that passed, the rain continued to pour, until she caught the stirring of his right arm.

Gaara looked at her like he was condensing all that hurt and anger into something more powerful. In slow, swift, forced movements, he raised his arm until it faced her directly. Then his fingers began to curl back into his palm.

Kumiyo's eyes widened as the tears continued to fall, and she felt the last piece of her heart shatter completely at the realization of his actions.

_Desert coffin_.

She stood stock-still; unbelieving, scared and hurt. As numbed by the coldness, and the rain as she was, she could still feel the sand creeping up her leg. Not once did she break eye contact, not once did she scream out in protest, she should have known it was coming, there was nothing she could do.

_After all I am a spy from another village_.

There was no malicious glint in his eyes, instead they too looked torn. The sand stopped moving, he knew he couldn't ever bring himself to do it.

His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he let his arm fall, giving her one last look of heart-tugging sadness.

"Don't ever come back" his hoarse words drifted in the wind, in the final drops of rain.


	14. The glitch

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

* * *

"Seriously Meiji, something is wrong" a small, mousy woman whispered worriedly to her friend over their meal. It was highly unnecessary to whisper as they were sitting in a bustling canteen in the busiest part of the village, so Meiji rolled her eyes and continued to work her way through lunch.

"I mean I've seen him stressed, but now he's hit a whole new level. Every order is barked, he always wants privacy. I don't think he's left the office for the whole week!" she exclaimed hurriedly.

"You can see it in his eyes, they're bloodshot and tired and… angry. I've never seen him so lost" she started to slow down, this time catching the attention of her friend who slurped up the last of her noodles.

The mouse-haired girl paused for a while, slowly contemplating her words while her friend looked her over cautiously.

"I don't know what to do. I already spoke to Kankuro-sama after his behaviour changed last week, but he totally dismissed what I had to say and told me to stay out of it. I mean what if it starts to affect his work?"

"You are going too far with this Shira-chan. So what if he's having an off week? We all get those. I'm sure he'll get over whatever is bothering him." Meiji reassured her over-reactive friend.

"I know you're right. It's just I can't help but feel that it's different. Something happened which must have really hurt him. Before, sure he was solemn and serious, but now he's just become cold and distant."

"Look just wait it out for another week and if nothing lets up then you can formally address his advisors and see if they can fix it. But for now, its time to get back to work" Meiji reasoned, setting down her chopsticks and standing up.

Shiramaki frowned but still stood up, ready to head back to the office, just hoping Kazekage-sama wasn't in too foul a mood.

* * *

Kumiyo was jerked painfully out of her restless slumber by a pale of icy water thrown mercilessly over her already worn-out body. 

"Rise and shine traitor" smirked the warden through the bars of her dilapidated cell, sending a sickening, throaty snort of laughter her way.

She couldn't even bring herself to give him a cold glare amidst her panicked sputtering and shivering. The droplets stung every inch of her beaten body, her eyes were swollen and sticky from countless tears and she was starved to the bone. Every miniscule second, was an overbearing test of her sanity which slowly, diligently chipped away at her.

The careless jangle of his keys echoed off the dungeon walls and the festering door swung heavily on its hinges. Kumiyo felt the warden's hefty shadow fall upon her meek figure and she feebly looked up to meet his demeaning gaze.

"Get up" he barked.

She was led to the same room she had been in for the past week. A large underground space, not privy to the outside world. She was forced into the same cold chair placed in the centre of numerous inky black seals, and tightly strapped in. She knew the whole routine, and still couldn't care less. She obeyed their every wish, and inched ever closer to the brink of death because she knew there was nothing for her to live for.

"Are you feeling truthful today Kumiyo?" a taunting voice berated in the shadows, emerging in the form of a masked body.

"Not particularly" she muttered dejectedly, refusing to meet his eye.

"That's too bad" he mocked, snapping his fingers.

Immediately a jolt of chakra lashed out at her from the seals she knew to be controlled by the five shinobi surrounding the circle.

Kumiyo bit her lip in suppression, but the pain was familiar. It was all she knew now.

"Where do your loyalties lie?" came the question she was horded with everyday.

"I am loyal to Iwakagure" she repeated through gritted teeth.

She felt his face come dangerously close to hers.

"Then why did you not report back that Suna had received a massive earthquake? Is that not valuable information?"

Kumiyo glared angrily back at him but refused to answer.

Another jolt. Stronger this time.

She was panting now.

"Are you or are you not secretly working for Suna's forces??" he screamed in her face fiercely, traces of his spittle flying onto her cheeks.

Kumiyo looked up to meet his glowering face.

"I am not a traitor" she spoke quietly but clearly.

This time he exploded.

Shock after shock, bolt after excruciating bolt. Kumiyo let loose a guttural, raw scream of pain. Her eyes felt like they were going to burst out of their sockets and every part of her body writhed sickeningly.

"That's enough" commanded a low voice from under the shadows, one Kumiyo did not recognize.

Kumiyo slumped in her chair, whimpering slightly and ready to pass out if it weren't for the medic at her side, used to keep her alive through the multiple torture sessions. Unable to sense much during her quick recovery, she opened her eyes to find the masked torturer cowering in the corner, and a new face stood in front of her. Groggily, she struggled to keep her eyes open through the incessant, aching throb.

"Tsuchikage-sama?" came her cracked, hoarse voice, barely audible.

The old man who stood in front of her had a rough face, scarred with lines from numerous battles he had bravely fought for his country. He was of a tall stature, and held a prominent beard which grew down to his chest. This man looked stern, and was one who undoubtedly commanded respect.

"Hai, Kumiyo-san" he addressed grimly.

Not forgetting her manners, Kumiyo did her best to nod her head in a show of respect.

The man that stood before her was intimidating, but not evil. He had an air of honour about him.

Kumiyo looked up to find his eyes slightly crinkled in a small smile.

"Kumiyo-san, I need you to put yourself in my shoes for a minute and try to understand where I'm coming from" he instructed wearily.

"As the Tsuchikage, I hold the responsibility of my whole village, and it is my job to act in their best interest" the old man's eyes never broke from her's. Oddly, such behaviour reminded her so bitterly of a different Kage.

"Now here you are, claiming you are not a traitor, yet you have withheld information that maybe have been valuable and used for the village's best interest."

Kumiyo didn't know how to respond. She knew where he was coming from but couldn't tell him the truth as she would just be seen as a traitor when she knew she wasn't. She couldn't bring herself to speak the words which would be used against her.

"Now, why did you not tell us of the earthquake when you knew full well that it was useful intelligence?" he asked quietly yet directly.

"What would you have done with it?" she murmured angrily, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

For several seconds the Tsuchikage just stood and stared at her, the clockwork of his mind putting the two and two together.

"I see" he said in understanding, and turned around to walk back out of the room.

* * *

…_Something doesn't fit…_

"Hey Yosuke, you coming for lunch or what?" yelled a similarly uniformed figure from across the room.

"You go ahead. I'm really close to getting somewhere" Yosuke replied distractedly, not bothering to look in the direction of his colleague and continued to mumble oddly to himself whilst searching through the mound of strewn sheets over his desk.

"Yosuke, seriously, you haven't stopped working for weeks. Would you give this up? There is nothing left to deduce from the evidence because the answer is so obvious"

"I'm telling you, something doesn't fit here. Don't you think everything is just too obvious to be true? Tell me, isn't there at least one tiny chance of it being planted?"

"Oh come on. I've had enough of your nonsense"

"Could you pass the microscope please?" Yosuke asked pointedly, immune to the daily criticism from everyone in the research department.

"What is your theory this time?" he asked, sighing slightly at his friend's old antics as he passed the microscope.

Yosuke reached into a bag of the evidence and put some sand on the dish.

"Hey what are you doing?? You can't touch that!"

He didn't reply, just continued to look down through the lenses absolutely resolute.

"You see, what we assumed as soon as we were sent the proof was that they were what they looked to be" Yosuke explained animatedly, he was verging on the brink of discovery.

"Oh so sand isn't sand anymore?" his friend rolled his eyes.

"We never verified it so no, not until it is examined and known– wait a second! Look at this" he rushed about excitedly, almost unbelieving that after weeks of endless searching he might actually have found the glitch.

"You've gotta be kidding me" muttered the other shinobi, looking down the lens just to appease him.

"You see that??"

_Hold on a second. _

His colleague stopped short for a few moments before looking up in utter disbelief.

_I was right._

"We have to get this to the Tsuchikage" he breathed.

* * *

**Heey. I'm sorry for the huge gaps in updates now, but school is school :(**

**Anyways. This chapter might not be so clear – especially the ending- but I promise all will be revealed in the next one which will hopefully come up by the end of the week. **

**Reviews are welcome, as always. **


	15. The Tsuchikage

Gaara couldn't stop the visions. They haunted his dreams; under the cover of the dark and into the deepest chasms of his countenance. Torturing him with wisps of a mellow, honeydew scent, flickers of hooded amber eyes laced with contentment and the smallest upturn of full lips, slightly swollen from his attention. Every snapshot witnessed was a memory of each small detail he never knew he picked up, and thus further served to deepen his internal wounds. It stirred within him a slow, dull ache that no amount of ignorance could erase.

There were days that seemed more survivable than other; hours made bearable purely by forcing deep concentration and focus on an unrelated matter. However, the longer the time spent forgetting, the more forceful and vengeful the visions, which struck down in the form of flashes pulsing through his mind. Digging its way back into the forefront of his attention each time he was reminded by the smallest things; a little girl attempting to dance, the carefree laugh of women in the streets below.

These visions were however, always accompanied by his vivid memories of that moment in the desert; rain pouring mercilessly over her shivering body, camouflaging ghosts of tears that fell from eyes that had lost all meaning. Leaving him to wake up fighting for breath, muscles taut, splayed out across his messy bed with both his head and his heart wrenching in pain.

Truth be told, he was tired; tired of being frustrated and confused, sick of the ache that taunted him, sick of missing her and sick of not even knowing what to feel.

In the past, Gaara had lived in perpetual anger and hate, but even that experience couldn't compare to the flood of emotions toying with him now.

A knock on his door stirred him from his reminiscent thoughts. Looking up wearily from his rigid form, he immediately pulled on a mask of indifference, not allowing anyone to see what was raging inside of his soul.

* * *

"Um. Kazekage-sama, I was just in to d-discuss those documents on Iwakagure you w-wanted" Shiramaki voiced timidly, refusing to meet his glare for fear of losing what confidence she had built up.

Gaara's glower faltered slightly; feeling guilty for triggering such fear within his subordinates, but even more so, angered a little at himself.

"Did you manage to obtain any important information?" he questioned stonily, breaking the silence that seemed to permeate the entire room.

Shiramaki shook a little before collecting herself.

"Nothing we don't already know Kazekage-sama, the data in our archives are about the same facts we teach at the Suna academy"

Frowning slightly, Gaara averted his gaze to the window, absentmindedly viewing the streets below.

_That's right, we wouldn't have much information on account of our previous relationship with the Land of the Earth. _

Truthfully speaking, ever since Gaara took on the role of Kazekage he had never really had to deal with Iwagakure, they never caused problems; he did not even feel much hostility from the hidden village or the people. Much of his own view, as well as the view of the people, was tainted by events that took place in the past.

As Gaara was still in deep thought, hardly concentrating on the conversation with his secretary, she took it as a sign of dismissal knowing how he liked his privacy. Shuffling forward as quietly as possible, Shiramaki placed the small, tatty file on his desk that was already crumbling from the weight of all the other folders stacked on, and turned to leave.

"Shitsurei shimasu" she bowed her head, a little relieved to make it out of the room in tact.

Just before her timid fingers grazed the cool metal of the doorknob, she barely heard a small murmur from across the room.

"Thank you" came Gaara's deep voice, sudden not as icy.

Shiramaki swerved around in shock at hearing such sincere words from her boss who seemed to have been stuck in a moody rut for a month. He was sitting up facing her now, his features suddenly giving off a haggard look. Behind his intimidating form, loomed an air of tiredness one could only see under close inspection, his shoulders were slumped in defeat and his eyes has lost that sharpness that made him look like a true Kazekage. Taking in his momentary lapse in anger, her heart went out to him.

"I know I haven't been the easiest person to work with recently, but just… bear with me. There's a lot on my mind" he sighed, once again glancing out the window with a faraway look.

"I know, Kazekage-sama" Shiramaki returned, smiling to herself and bowing once again.

All of a sudden she noticed Gaara visibly stiffen and immediately his face hardened back into that mask of indifference, only this time she could clearly see the troubled expression on his face. Realizing the abrupt change in mood was not due to her presence but the presence of another, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Gaara's turquoise eyes met with hers and she saw slight confusion within.

_How was he not able to sense another person until they got so close?_

Swiftly, his gaze left her and moved straight onto the door. Shiramaki's breath hitched in her throat.

"Shiramaki, open the door for our guest" he ordered, his jaw clenched in anticipation.

Shooting him a terrified look, she inched towards the door. Her trembles grew as she got closer and in the moment before she jerked it open, her fingers found her emergency kunai she kept in the folds of her robe.

In her fright, she swung the door open with such force she didn't immediately see who was behind it. Steadying herself and thrusting her kunai up in a defensive position, her brown eyes hesitantly flew to the towering figure at the door.

Her kunai fell out of her trembling hands instantaneously, her widened eyes and slack jaw belied true shock; an emotion strictly forbidden from shinobi. However, she doubted anyone could have anticipated his arrival.

He was heavily cloaked in a traditional white robe mirroring that of Gaara's outfit, only his were matched with a murky brown colour, instantly giving away his identity. Although most of his face was hidden in the shadows, the hard lines of old age and war were easily visible and at that height, he seemed to glower at her through steely, emotionless eyes.

"T-T-Tsuchikage-sama!!"

* * *

Shiramaki hardly had anytime to react, within the blink of an eye she was hastily thrown protectively behind Gaara, whose sand was already leaking out of the gourd in preparation for an attack. If at all possible, the tension in the room became paramount, so much so that Shiramaki dare not even breath for fear of provocation.

However, all of Gaara's swift movements were not returned by any from the Tsuchikage, he just stood there watching them out of hardened black eyes, which served to instill fear within her all the more. Though she could no longer see what was happening between the two powerful Kages, she knew they were just staring each other down, patiently waiting for an outlet on which to unleash themselves.

Shifting her view to accommodate the Kazekage, Shiramaki took in his stance. Despite being taken off guard, especially since the Tsuchikage managed to evade his senses, he hardly seemed ready to let that get to him. He was posed calmly but she knew that both figures were on their full alert, ready to pounce at the slightest flicker of aggression. What did take her by surprise was the hostility emanating from the Kazekage's frame, though he was usually unaffected by emotions in battle, there was something gnawing away at him and she suspected it had something to do with what had been bothering him for the past month.

"It would be rather pointless for me to let my presence be known quite obviously if I were here to fight you" the Tsuchikage finally spoke, there was something about him that exuded an air of great supremacy, yet intimidating as it was, he did not appear hostile.

"Then what is it you do want with me here, unannounced?" Gaara growled unflinchingly, meeting the older man's firm gaze evenly and without fear.

"We need to talk" he stated quietly, glancing briefly towards the secretary.

Taking the hint, Gaara ordered her out of the room without so much as a look in her direction; they were both fully focused on each other. Shiramaki fumbled and nearly ran out of the room with all the energy she could muster, quivering uncontrollably, but the two men didn't seem to take much notice.

"Now what is it?" Gaara bit angrily, his turquoise eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What could you possibly want here? In a country you're just about ready to declare war with? Haven't you done enough?" his fists clenched tightly beneath his robes, an act which did not go unnoticed by the older leader.

Sighing softly, the Tsuchikage stepped forward into the light, pulling down his hat to reveal gray hair and a worn face.

"I promise you I mean no harm. As Kages I think it's about time we talked, and I explained what is going on, that would be the least I could do"

Unwilling to let his guard down, Gaara took a step backwards but did allow his stance to relax a little, thrown off slightly by the man's genuine sincerity despite his commanding stature.

Eyeing the old Kage, Gaara made it clear he was distrustful, however something about this man demanded respect, and Gaara was certain that he was a true leader; he could at least honour that.

Nodding at him in defeat, Gaara signaled his consent, now slightly curious of what the Tsuchikage would want to explain to him.

"Well I guess the beginning would be a good place to start" he murmured under his breath, breaking eye contact with the agitated redhead and seemingly collecting his thoughts. Taking a couple of furtive, slow steps forward, the Tsuchikage used his momentary lapse in speech to sit down, attempting to hint that Gaara too, should make himself comfortable. It was going to be a long day.

"My purpose here will not be clear until I have finished with what I have to say. Even though, you probably will not accept this right now, the least I can do is apologize for what has happened" his weary eyes flickered over to Gaara's own turquoise ones, still stern but filled a little with traces of humility.

"I need you to know, the information I am about to provide is of the highest standard of secrecy. We are only choosing to share this with you because now the matter involves Suna. If we hear of any leakages to the other countries, you can safely assume that Iwagakure will not take it lightly, and you will be considered our hostile enemies." The old kage's back stiffened in seriousness, a wave of intimidation swept over his face.

Giving the Tsuchikage a solemn nod, Gaara's curiosity piqued.

"About a year ago, the Daiymo of the Land of Earth received news of recent disturbances around the outside of our borders. Small, unrelated matters like fires and vandalism, which, under normal circumstances wouldn't be brought to light. The strange thing was that all these events appeared similar to one another, as in done in the same way, but the villages they took place at were completely erratic and almost impossible to reach by a normal person in the short span of time they occurred"

The Kazekage's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he wisely chose not to voice his thoughts, understanding that this explanation was relevant in order to comprehend the bigger picture.

"At first, the stories weren't paid much attention to, as we had more important matters to think about, but the disorders did not die down. Eventually, they started to get worse; robberies began in slightly larger, richer villages, not just money being stolen but also pieces of historical value. Soon after this the Daiymo was hard-pressed to do something about it, so we came into contact and I sent a few chuunins as increased security around the busier towns"

As soon as the sentence finished, the Tsuchikage's lips pursed into a thin line and his back stiffened.

"Nothing happened a few weeks after that, but I had underestimated the strength and intentions of these criminals. I had written them off as just some pesky troublemakers happening upon these riches and gaining enough momentum from their previous attacks to steal just out of pure thrill. As I was about to call the teams back, they were killed, the town massacred" he breathed, his voice now almost inaudible and his jaw firmly clenched.

"By now, we had our full attention on these killers, attempting to track them, anticipate their moves. It was obvious that our efforts to increase security only angered these people and put them into a further unstable mindset. It was only then that we realized how well they covered their tracks, again we assumed these people where just sloppy, blood-lusting criminals but looking further into the victimized towns and villages they were clean. Turns out we were dealing with a seasoned band of murderers, clearly of shinobi level"

Gaara's eyes darkened, somehow sensing where this was leading through the flash of guilt in the older man's eyes.

"These killing continued for roughly two weeks, but this time they weren't following the erratic pattern from before, in a way these murders were calculated. Still no clues and no leads were found, so we could only base our accusations on the locations. On the fourth strike on a village closer to our southern border, we found traces of sand" he spoke, looking up at Gaara's stoic expression with a firm gaze.

"So you immediately jumped to conclusion that Suna was responsible?" Gaara questioned, his eyes hardening in anger at the promptness of their assumptions.

"Could you blame us?" the Tsuchikage countered, finally reining in his superior nature, making his position known as his deep voice resonated through the room.

"Considering the fact that all these attacks came from our borders nearest to the land of Wind, that traces of sand was found, that we've not had the best of relations, that we were impatient to get to the bottom of this and that it was our first real lead. Yes, we believed Suna to be the cause of all our problems. Of course, we still had no idea of your intentions or your manpower so we sent in a spy"

_Kumiyo_

Something must have flared up in Gaara's eyes because immediately the wizened man started observing his movements carefully, as if acutely interested in his reactions.

"But you already knew that didn't you? Truth be told, even without her betrayal, the information we received would have been sufficient enough to cripple you"

"Betrayal?" Gaara caught on, ignoring the man's proclamation of leverage.

At this the Tsuchikage looked slightly thrown.

"You didn't know about it?"

"I assure you, if she betrayed you, it was not in collaboration with me. I didn't realize she was a spy until she left" turquoise eyes clouded in confusion, half unbelieving Kumiyo betrayed her own country

"That does not make any sense. Why else would she not mention the earthquake? She knew it would have crucial information for our counter-attack"

_She didn't tell them? No wonder we weren't attacked. Was she trying to protect us?_

Gaara stopped himself before his train of thought led him any further, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"Do you think she's working with the real people behind this?" he spat out, unwilling to think for a moment that she was the true culprit.

The Tsuchikage noticed his bitter tone and looked up at Gaara with almost a slyish cast over his aged features.

"I don't believe so, no. A week ago, we were convinced you were behind everything until we found out that the sand left in the villages was not really sand. They turned out to be shells that get washed up to the north of the land of Earth, so that eliminated you as our prime suspect, and subsequently Kumiyo-san."

Gaara nodded slightly in understanding.

_That's right, if we weren't the enemies then Kumiyo couldn't be an accomplice as the aim was to bring Iwagakure against us, obviously she was the one who actually prevented that goal from being achieved by not reporting the earthquake. _

"That must mean she was trying to protect Suna out of her own will" the older man deduced.

The Kazekage chose not to speak, but held his gaze evenly. In turn, the Tsuchikage eyed him with suspicion, as if almost already weary of the reason.

"I still do not understand why such evidence brings you here Tsuchikage"

"Obviously, if my enemy wishes for our two countries to fight, I would do anything to irritate them, and if it means to side with you and become allies, then so be it"

Gaara smirked slightly, apparently new to such reasoning.

* * *

**Ok, so not much of a cliffie, but that's fine. You just go off and wonder about what happens next… muhahahaha.. actually me too. Im not too sure, but I do have rough ideas**

**Anyways, im sorry, I understand school is not really much of an excuse for skipping out for such a long period, but honestly I haven't forgotten about the story**

**If anything it's all I can think about. I've had major plot problems that needed constant fixing.**

**I hope you like it though, I think this makes a pretty cool twist in the story: suddenly not enemies eehhhhh????**

**I love you guys, and I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry for skipping out for so long, thats why im giving you a longer chappie !!! **

**So if ya missed me, review XD**


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